Blueberry yields down

Island farmers predicting overall decrease in harvest

Frost that lingered into early June was likely a significant factor in an expected decrease in P.E.I.’s wild blueberry harvest this year, says the P.E.I. Wild Blueberry Growers Association.

With the 2018 harvest now drawing to a close across Atlantic Canada, the association said it appears P.E.I.’s crop yield will see a decrease from recent years due to a number of factors.

However, the most significant factor was likely a series of frost events that occurred in several fields across P.E.I. during a full bloom stage.

Growers in both the eastern and western ends of P.E.I. were affected by the late frost, which can be devastating for fruit bud development. However, specific areas within P.E.I. were affected to different degrees, with some

areas untouched by frost and others destroyed.

There are also a number of other factors that can contribute to a decreased yield. Because wild blueberry crops produce fruit every second year, they are subject to a wide range of factors taking place within those two years such as drought, inadequate snow cover and pollination.

Because of those reasons, the association said it was particularly difficult to accurately estimate a 2018 crop yield. As in past years, the final yield is expected to be provided by the P.E.I. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in late October.

The association is now working with the department, as well as other agricultural organizations,

to evaluate crop yields and recovery options as the effects of frost damage become clearer.

In recent years, local and Maritime growers have experienced significant economic difficulty mainly due to a record breaking decline in prices.

About 23.4 million pounds of wild blueberries were harvested in the province last year.