Blueberry yield up by 2.3M kg

P.E.I. had a record blueberry harvest this year.

There were about nine million kilograms produced this year, said P.E.I. Wild Blueberry Association president David MacNearney, up from 6.8 million kg last year.

Production over the past decade has averaged about 4.5 millions kg per year.

MacNearney said the good yield can't be attributed to the weather, although the snow cover last winter, combined with the good weather during pollination did help the berries grow.

"It mostly has to do with the land becoming mature," said MacNearney.

"They had a blueberry incentive program because the province saw the potential of the industry. And so it's now just coming into being about 15 years old, and I think that's mature."

MacNearney said yields took a big jump on his own land this year, going from 1,900 kg per hectare to 3,700.

"It's just an awesome feeling, because now we're up to a commercial level."

MacNearney said for the previous 12 years he was not harvesting enough berries to pay the bills.

The price for blueberries dropped from $0.60 a pound last year to $0.55 ($1.32 to $1.21 per kg) this year, but that the high yield offset the slight dip in price.