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New England Agricultural Statistics Service
- - - a field office of the
      National Agricultural Statistics Service
      United States Department of Agriculture

Aubrey R. Davis, Director  Phone: (603) 224-9639
22 Bridge St, 3rd Floor      Fax: (603) 225-1434
PO Box 1444             Internet: http://www.usda.gov/nass/
Concord, NH 03302-1444    E-Mail: nass.nh@nass.usda.gov
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 		Maine Wild Blueberries
  		    January 2005
                      
		January 27, 2005

The following is an abbreviated version of the report.
The entire document is available as a PDF file on
the Internet through: http://www.nass.usda.gov/nh/
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A special "THANK YOU" goes to Maine Wild Blueberry growers 
and processors who have helped us by completing wild 
blueberry surveys during 2004.

Lowest Wild Blueberry Production In Maine In Over Ten Years

MAINE WILD BLUEBERRY CROP:  Maine's 2004 wild blueberry crop 
totaled 46 million pounds, a decrease of 43 percent from the 
2003 output, 26 percent below 2002 production and the lowest  
output in the state since 1991.

The price for processing berries in 2004 is expected to 
average 40 cents per pound, an increase of seven cents from 
2003, resulting in a total processing value of $18.3 million.

NORTH AMERICAN BLUEBERRY CROP:  According to Extension Blueberry 
Specialist David Yarborough, "The major contributing factor to 
Maine's crop reduction was extensive winter kill to the blueberry 
stems caused by the absence of snow cover and excessively cold 
winter conditions. The wet spring limited the ability of bees to 
pollinate and provided ideal conditions for infection and blight 
by the mummy berry fungus. Rain fall in August was above normal 
and increased what little crop we had. Without this rain, the crop 
reduction would have been much greater.

"Canadian wild blueberry production saw their second largest crop 
at 114.2 million pounds, which was just below their all-time high 
in 2003 at 120.8 million pounds. Quebec had an estimated 45 million 
pounds, which was slightly above their 31.6 million pound average 
and is tied for their second largest crop in 2002.  Nova Scotia had 
the next largest crop at 41.2 million pounds, which was close to 
their 41.3 million pound 5-year average. New Brunswick reported 18.5 
million pounds, which was also their second largest crop.  Prince 
Edward Island had 8.5 million pounds, which was a record crop for 
the province; it is expected that this production will increase 
over time as the large number of new acres becomes more productive.  
Newfoundland was estimated at a one million pound crop, which was 
average.  The major contributing factor of these large crops was 
the ample rainfall they received last fall and this year." 

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