India’s blueberry cultivation has expanded rapidly over the past three years, supported by growing consumer demand, improved cultivars, and greater awareness among growers, says Manikandan Pattabiraman, Founder of Hyper Farms, which specializes in precision fertigation and climate automation for commercial farms.
“Growers, both large and small, are aggressively expanding their production portfolios to include blueberries and other berries. But the objective is no longer simply to grow blueberries in India. There is increasing focus on producing fruit that can compete with imported berries on quality,” explains Manikandan.
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That focus is driving greater adoption of protected cultivation. According to Manikandan, “Most new blueberry growers are opting for controlled-environment production systems, with naturally ventilated polyhouses remaining the dominant choice. Tunnel structures, fully automated greenhouses, net houses, and open-field cultivation in colder regions are also gaining traction.”
“One interesting trend is that the structures themselves are evolving as growers are paying more attention to greenhouse height, ventilation, irrigation precision, and climate control because blueberries are highly sensitive to their growing environment,” he adds.
However, producing blueberries in India remains challenging. Summer temperatures, particularly inside protected structures, can exceed 40°C, affecting fruit set and flavour development. “Blueberries require acidic growing media, while much of India’s soil is alkaline. Water quality also presents a challenge, as many groundwater sources contain high carbonate and chloride levels to which blueberries are particularly sensitive.”
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But according to Manikandan, “The biggest challenge is that India-grown blueberries compete with imported ones grown in regions naturally suited to blueberries. That means India’s blueberry ecosystem has to focus on bringing out the best possible quality, not simply maximising production.”
The challenges extend beyond climate: “The sector is also facing shortages of skilled labour and experienced agronomists familiar with berry cultivation. At the same time, high-quality planting material remains expensive and tightly controlled by international nurseries and variety licences.”
Manikandan emphasizes that this is where automation is becoming increasingly important. “Hyper Farms works with growers on fertigation and climate management systems that help deliver precise irrigation, nutrient dosing, and environmental control. Many new growers are entering blueberries with little prior experience in berry cultivation or hydroponics,” he mentions, comparing the scenario to learning a new subject in a new language. “Automation reduces the margin for error and ensures crops receive the right nutrition at the right time, every time.”
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Yet he argues that the real benefit of automation goes beyond labour savings. “The real advantage is consistency in crop quality and productivity. When growing a premium crop, every decision has to add value to the fruit.” His advice to new blueberry growers is straightforward: involve irrigation and automation planning from the earliest stages of farm design and focus relentlessly on quality.
“Many growers begin with pilot farms and try to reduce costs. But blueberries are not a crop where corners can be cut. When Indian berries are compared with imported fruit, it’s Grade A quality that matters.”
As India’s blueberry industry continues to expand, Manikandan believes success will depend on integrating greenhouse design, fertigation, climate control, and agronomy into a single production strategy. “We are growers first and technologists second; everything has to be designed with the crop in mind,” he concludes.
For more information:
Manikandan Pattabiraman
Hyperfarms Pvt Ltd
Tel: +91 80 47161 100
Email: [email protected]
www.hyperfarms.in