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October 13, 2010

Blueberry crop down, but prices up

By The Mainebiz News Staff

A late spring frost and dry August conditions are being blamed for likely shrinking Maine's blueberry crop this season.

Official figures have yet to be released, but preliminary data show the wild blueberry crop is expected to be about 70 million to 75 million pounds, one of the smallest crops since 2005, according to the Ellsworth American. The price, however, appears to have increased during the season. David Yarborough, blueberry specialist at the University of Maine Extension, told the paper that growers have reported prices paid for berries climbing from 35 cents a pound earlier in the season to as much as 60 cents. In 2009, Maine harvested a total of 88.5 million pounds of blueberries for an average price of 35 cents a pound, according to data from the UMaine Extension.

Yarborough said an early spring bloom followed by frost, plus a dry August, reduced berry supply in Maine and Canada, likely leading to the price increase. Official yield and price data won't be released until January. Most of Maine's wild blueberry crop is bought by processors and sold frozen.

Go to the article from the Ellsworth American >>

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