Jan 25, 2016

Maine blueberry growers ask USDA to buy 30 million surplus pounds

The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine has requested that the USDA purchase 30 million surplus pounds of frozen wild blueberries. The Maine congressional delegation wrote a letter to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Fruit and Vegetable Program supporting the commission’s request.

Here’s more from the Bangor Daily News:

In their letter urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s purchase of surplus berries, the congressional delegation said the department should consider the nutritional benefits of Maine’s wild frozen blueberries as an antioxidant. 

The congressional delegation wrote that prices for frozen wild blueberries have dropped by about 50 percent in less than five years “and are now estimated to be less than the cost of production.” 

The congressional delegation said the USDA has $222 million on hand to purchase surplus commodities in its 2016 budget.