Wild blueberry prices reach all-time low, says association

The price of wild blueberries is at an all-time low, according to the Wild Blueberry Producers of Nova Scotia.

In 2017, the price of wild blueberries per pound dropped 10 cents from 2016 prices. Wild blueberries are now selling at 20 cents per pound.

"Even at 20 cents, that's basically your harvesting costs right there. That doesn't account for any of the input you would've put in the crop for the last two years," said Barron Blois, president of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia.

50 cents to be profitable

Blueberry farmers need to get 50 cents a pound to be profitable, and the association fears the plummeting price will put some farmers out of business.

Farmers are often left without any money after covering expenses, and are forced to "set fields aside," said Blois. That can have a trickle-down effect within farming communities.

"There's a number of people we would have hired to do some hand-raking on some of the rougher lands. We didn't do that this year because we normally pay 25 cents to hand-rake and you can't do that when you're only getting 20 cents [per pound]," said Blois. 

Oversupply of wild blueberries

Bumper crops three years in a row have created an oversupply of inventory and demand hasn't caught up, Blois said.

The processing plant's cost of storing the frozen berries is also driving down the price.

"All of this has made the processing industry very, very, cautious. They tell us it costs about a cent a pound a month to keep them in storage," said Blois. 

Another contributing factor is competition from highbush blueberry farmers. Unlike wild blueberries, which are harvested in two-year cycles, highbush producers can pick their berries every year.

Highbush blueberry boost

Jay Barkman of Blue Ridge Farm has been producing highbush blueberries since 2004.

His farm is producing bigger berries that are often packed and sold fresh. However, he said, the softer, lower-grade berries are sold to processing plants, which puts them in direct competition with wild blueberry producers.

The amount that gets sent for processing often depends on the weather.

"There may be more processing of highbush blueberries this year because we've had a lot of rain and we've got soft berries," said Barkman. 

Highbush blueberry farming is enjoying a boost in popularity — not just in Nova Scotia, but around the world. Production has increased in the U.S., Mexico, Chile and Argentina, Barkman said.

"Almost every country by now grows highbush blueberries."

Cost-cutting measures sought

Wild blueberry producers are looking at ways to cut the cost of farming and are working with the provincial government on promoting the product around the world.

"We know here in Nova Scotia what the Chinese market has done for the lobster industry. We hope to take that example and work with it," said Blois.

Farmers are expecting to produce fewer wild blueberries this year.

Blois said he's cautiously optimistic. With the right amount of marketing to increase demand and fewer berries going into storage, the price could be adjusted before the end of this year.

"But, I wouldn't want to take that to the bank right now," said Blois.