AP cites UMaine in report on state’s blueberry harvest
The University of Maine was mentioned in an Associated Press article about the state’s wild blueberry harvest. The crop fell sharply this summer to land below 100 million pounds for the first time in four years, according to the article. Preliminary industry figures show the crop coming in at about 65 million pounds, said Nancy McBrady, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. The crop is down because of factors including bad growing conditions, such as a lack of rain, and lack of farming effort, McBrady said. Maine produces about a tenth of the blueberries in North America, according to UMaine. The state is best known for wild blueberries, which are smaller than cultivated blueberries and are almost always sold frozen, the article states. The Portland Press Herald, Bangor Daily News and Sentinel & Enterprise of Fitchburg, Massachusetts carried the AP report. The Press Herald also included a “Harvest at a glance” chart which included annual pound and price information provided by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.