DEBERT - After what was described as a challenging year last summer, blueberry producers are hoping for better things in 2010.
After blueberry prices tumbled to 35 cents a pound during the 2009 harvest, producers and officials with the Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia feel the status quo is not an option.
"We never know until the crop is harvested what the price is going to be and at the time of harvesting you've had a full year that's gone by, allowing for time to clean up inventories and see what the price is around the world," Dave Sangster of the blueberry producers association said. "There are a number of factors involved, but you can be assured the growers are not happy with 35 cents a pound."
From a high of over $1 a pound a couple of years ago, Sangster said prices have continually tumbled and there's no one reason for the decline. While some producers may want to blame the larger processors for controlling the price, Sangster said there are so many factors including weather conditions and their impact on yields, not to mention the global marketplace.
However, he said, producers cannot continue to handle prices similar to last year's levels because they are below the cost of production.
"We're looking for stronger prices, obviously but we won't know for some time what the price will be," Sangster said. "Our membership is concerned obviously and they are looking at ways to manage their fields a little differently so they can control the input costs."
In doing so, Sangster said, producers are setting less productive fields aside and focusing more on those fields with better results.
There have been rumours that prices could drop to as low as 25 cents a pound, but Sangster said the association has been hearing some positives that make the membership cautiously optimistic better prices are on the way.
"We're hearing the inventory is moving reasonably well and that's a big factor," he said. "We're hearing some positive things and there's reason for optimism."
Ralph Thompson, who produces about 200 acres of blueberries near Conns Mills, is hoping prices will be higher this year.
"The only consensus is the present price is disastrous and there's no indication if it's going to be better," said Thompson. "There is some inventory moving so there won't be as much carry over from last year. Still, we're not hearing much about whether there'll be an improvement in prices this year."
Thompson said that because of last year's poor price, he hasn't put much work into the fields he would harvest next year because there simply isn't the money to do the work that's required.
"The industry is going to be hurt from last year and the local economy is going to be hurt," he said, adding that's he's still frustrated with the lack of information.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
