Objective
To develop a 1,000-hectare MBO blueberry platform in Colombia, starting with 300 hectares on the Tolima Plateau, to export to the United States during peak-price windows and displace imports in the Colombian market.
Key Targets
- Plant 300 hectares in Phase 1 (100 ha per year from 2027 to 2029) and 1,000 hectares across the full program by 2033.
- Produce 7,200 tonnes of fruit per year at Phase 1 maturity (24 t/ha) and approximately 24,000 t/year under the full program.
- Achieve EBITDA of approximately USD 28 million in 2033, the first year of full maturity, with a sales mix of 70% exports and 30% domestic sales.
- Create approximately 2,100 formal direct jobs in Phase 1 (approximately 60% held by women) and approximately 6,900 under the full program.
- Achieve positive cash flow from 2030 and full investment payback in 2033.
Market Opportunity
- The United States consumes approximately 500,000 tonnes of fresh blueberries per year and imports nearly two-thirds of that volume, reaching a record of approximately 326,500 tonnes in 2025. Port prices range from USD 8 to 13 per kilo in April–May and September; in April–May, prices are more than double those paid in July.
- At maturity (2033), Phase 1 would export approximately 5,000 tonnes per year, worth approximately USD 44 million, equivalent to approximately 1.5% of U.S. imports.
- Colombia accounts for just approximately 1,000 of the world's 303,000 hectares of blueberries (0.3%); Peru scaled from 80 to approximately 20,500 hectares in twelve years by leveraging the same tropical advantage.
- Colombian consumption has grown approximately sevenfold since 2020, and the country imported approximately 2,000 tonnes from Peru in 2025, a volume that domestic supply can replace.
Competitive Advantage over Current Supply
Colombia can harvest any week of the year, with no winter or dormancy, and reach the United States in 5 to 8 days by sea from Santa Marta and Barranquilla. The platform holds the only Mountain Blue Orchards license in Colombia (Sabana Blues, since 2017), high-yield jumbo-fruit genetics, an in-house nursery producing 800,000 plants per year, and approximately 70 hectares already planted by its operators. Colombian fruit has had phytosanitary market access to the United States since 2005 under cold treatment.
Project Stage
Phase 1 structuring and fundraising. Land is secured (349 contiguous ha under signed 20-year lease agreements with a purchase option; 300 plantable ha), and the financial model is complete. First planting is scheduled for the second half of 2027.
Strategic Impact
- Diversification of Colombia's agribusiness export basket toward a high-value market.
- Year-round formal rural employment (approximately 7 jobs per hectare), prioritizing women and female heads of household.
- Fruit import substitution and development of the blueberry value chain in Tolima.
ESG Considerations
Environmental: Cultivation under shaded, ventilated macro-tunnels, with technified irrigation, water treatment and on-site reservoirs. The project will apply to Cortolima, the regional environmental authority, for the water-use concession and any other environmental permits applicable to the final design. Commercial certifications will be defined according to target markets and buyers.
Social: Approximately 2,100 formal, year-round direct jobs in Phase 1, approximately 60% for women (approximately 1,300), with hiring that prioritizes female heads of household.
Governance: Project company to be incorporated (Proyecto Horizonte Azul), majority-owned by the equity partners, with board seats for investors, an operating agreement with KPIs and removal clauses, and related-party agreements on arm's-length terms.
SDGs: 5 (Gender Equality) · 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) · 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) · 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)