Canada: Low blueberry yields for P.E.I. farmers in 2023

Between rising equipment costs and climate change, blueberry growers in Prince Edward Island are struggling to maintain their crops with increasing costs and decreasing field prices. “The price of inputs for any agricultural crop has increased dramatically, yet the prices (for blueberries) keep dropping below the cost of production, so it’s frustrating,” Benny Nabuurs, president of the P.E.I. Wild Blueberry Growers Association, told SaltWire on Feb. 9. The association reported the production of blueberries across the province was cut almost in half in 2023, with the total production of blueberries in the province estimated to be 19.6 million pounds across approximately 7,000 acres of farming land. A decrease in availability would typically lead to an increase in price, especially from farmers. However, field prices have also decreased from 70 cents per pound in 2022 to 35 cents per pound in 2023. Related stories Island farmer an innovator in wild blueberries Western P.E.I. ...