Maine Blueberry Growers Had A Bounce-Back Year

Maine’s wild blueberry growers had a bounce-back year this summer after struggling with low prices and small crops sizes in recent seasons.

The only commercial scale wild blueberry growers in the U.S. harvest the fruit in Maine, mostly in the state’s rural Down East region. The 2020 crop was less than 48 million pounds, and that was the lowest number since 2004. But experts say the 2021 season, which ended recently, appeared to be much better. One horticulturist said the crop was likely about 90 million pounds, which would be the most blueberries since 2016.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) has pushed for National Blueberry Month to include wild blueberries, which are a major crop in the state. National Blueberry Month is in July.

Pingree pushed the House Agriculture Committee to support a resolution recognizing the month. She said she also called for an amendment to highlight the contributions of the wild blueberry industry. The agriculture committee unanimously adopted both moves.