Maine lawmakers in Washington urge federal relief for blueberry growers

File Photo / Lori Valigra Members of Maine's Congressional delegation are pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide assistance to wild blueberry growers in a tariff relief program.

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By Staff

Members of Maine's Congressional delegation are pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to lend a hand to wild blueberry growers affected by China's retaliatory tariffs.

The move comes two months after the USDA set up a tariff relief program for agricultural producers known as the Market Facilitation Program.

In a two-page letter to U.S. Agriculture Undersecretary Bill Northey dated July 15, Maine's two Senators and two members of Congress urge U.S. to include wild blueberry growers in the Market Facilitation Program.

"As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers providing assistance to farmer who have suffered from trade retaliation and disruptions, we strongly urge you to include wild blueberry growers within the USDA's Market Facilitation," they wrote.

The letter is signed by U.S. Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins, and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden.

They note that the Chinese export market for Maine wild blueberries has "all but vanished," with only 75,000 pounds of exports to China in 2018. That's down from nearly 2 million pounds in 2017.

The industry has also faced a number of other hardships in recent years, including critical oversupply following several record crop sizes, steeply declining prices paired with steady production costs and global competition, the lawmakers note in their letter.

"Reliable and open access to foreign markets is critical in order to enhance global demand for wild blueberries and drive positive growth," they argue.

The USDA initiated its second Market Facilitation Program this year to assist farmers hurt by trade disruptions prompted by foreign tariffs on their products.

It's authorized to provide up to $16 billion in relief, and it has already identified producers of other fruits for relief under the current program, including growers sweet cherries, cranberries and grapes.

There have been increasing calls to add blueberry growers to that list. Maine Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal penned a similar letter to Northey last week.

Maine is the world's largest producer of wild blueberries, at up to 100 million pounds a year and bringing $250 million into the state, according to the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine.