The provincial government doesn’t yet have any plan in place to help wild blueberry producers hit by historic low prices for their crop.
Minister of Agriculture Keith Colwell told The Chronicle Herald on Tuesday that government is not considering buying wild blueberries in bulk to serve in public institutions. Growers of the berries, who have seen prices drop from 65 cents a pound four years ago to a forecasted 20 cents a pound this year, had asked that the Maritime provincial governments work together to replicate a program south of the border.
The United States Department of Agriculture approved $10 million in July to buy up to 30 million pounds of Maine’s wild blueberry crop and serve them up in state and federal institutions. Last year $8.6 million worth of berries were purchased by the American government to offset an oversupply in the industry.
“The U.S. is a lot bigger marketplace than we are,” said Colwell.
“We’re doing all we can to get all Nova Scotia products in our own institutions but we don’t have the market that the U.S. does for that kind of a thing.”
He said the government is considering a regional marketing proposal received in March from the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia.
Among the goals of the proposal, which would see provincial funding matched by industry, would be to encourage Atlantic Canadians and those beyond to eat wild blueberries. On Tuesday Association executive directer Peter Rideout said growers are frustrated to see British Columbia-grown highbush blueberries on local supermarket shelves while the smaller wild blueberries are filling warehouses.
“To be fair to the minister we are impatient,” said Rideout.
“And the wheels of government move slow.”
While international markets are growing, thanks in part to industry-led campaigns in Europe and Asia, they haven’t kept up with three years of bumper crops. The result has been that prices have plummeted to less than half of what most growers consider marginally profitable (50 cents a pound).
Nova Scotia alone has 1,100 blueberry growers — at least 250 of whom derive most of their income from the crop.
“There will be bankruptcies,” said Jeff Orr, who has 100 acres of fields in Cumberland and Guysborough counties, during a Monday interview.
Many fields are going unharvested this year due to the low price.
Colwell said he was briefed on the March proposal by the Wild Blueberry Producers Association a few weeks ago but was not aware of where it currently stands.
“I can guarantee we’re working on something for the short term and long term,” said Colwell.
“This is a very valuable crop for the province. It generates lot of employment.”
Asked if he could offer growers anything more concrete, Colwell replied, “Not at this point.”
Rideout said he is confident that the Department of Agriculture will come out, at some point, with both a short-term financial relief package and a plan to participate in the association’s regional marketing strategy.
