The final date for Maine blueberry growers to obtain crop insurance on next year's crop is November 20, 2009.  Current policyholders likewise have until November 20 to make any changes to their existing contracts.  Price elections for 2010 will be $.57 per pound for blueberries.  Crop insurance provides coverage against production losses due to damage caused by natural perils and adverse weather conditions such as hail, wind, frost, and drought.  Your actual amount of coverage will be determined from your actual yields and the protection level you select.  Fruit producers should consider making crop insurance an essential part of their overall risk management plan to help protect their operations from financial loss.  Growers are encouraged to contact a local crop insurance agent as soon as possible for more detailed information and premium quotes.  For a list of crop insurance agents in your area, contact the local USDA Farm Service Agency office or log on to the following Risk Management Agency web site: http://www3.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/

2008 Final Price and Production: Maine’s 2008 wild blueberry crop weighed in at 90 million pounds, an increase of 16 percent above 2007 output, and the largest crop harvested in the state since 2000. The price growers received for processing berries in 2008 averaged $0.60 per pound, a decrease of $0.47 per pound from 2007 and the lowest since 2004. Lower prices placed the processing value at $53.6 million in 2008, compared with $82.2 million the previous year.

2009 Wild Blueberry Crop: During the beginning of May, growers were active pruning fields and applying fertilizer and herbicides. Average to above average rainfall during the month of May kept growers busy monitoring for mummyberry and applying fungicides as necessary. Mummyberry blight symptoms were apparent, however very little infection was seen on fields treated with fungicide. Bees were brought into fields during the middle of May and average temperatures accompanied by dry weather provided good pollinating conditions. Cool weather during the first week in June delayed and extended the bloom, however pollination was completed in good time and light moisture midmonth provided for good plant and fruit growth. Cooler temperatures and rain showers in June and throughout most of July delayed crop maturation. Prolonged wet conditions kept growers on high alert for Valdensinia leaf spot disease, and growers are adhering to a new sanitation protocol tocontrol its spread. Although disease pressure has been high, insect pressure has been low this year with few outbreaks. Harvest is expected to begin the first week in August in the mid-coast region, about one week behind schedule. Despite the anticipated late harvest and lack of prolonged sunshine, growers in the mid-coast area indicated the crop was better than average, while those in the downeast region indicated a less than average crop. As of late July, Maine’s wild blueberry crop was rated in good condition by crop specialist Dr. David Yarborough with an above average set and mostly average berry size.

The July wild blueberry production forecast for the current year will no longer be published by NASS on an annual basis. Preliminary 2009 production numbers and price will be published in January 2010, with final numbers released in July of 2010.

Current information about the 2009 wild blueberry crop can be found in the Weekly Crop Progress and Condition report by visiting our website at www.nass.usda.gov or by calling the New England office at 1-800-642-9571.

2009 Wild Blueberry Crop Prospects

Maine - The crop in Maine could be an above average one this year.  We had a wet fall and a mild winter with good snow cover, so very little winter injury has been seen.  The dry weather during early pollination increased the potential crop in most areas except for the Downeast coast which had extended rain during bloom.  Despite continued concerns on the bee decline, honeybees were available at a higher price.  We had 66,000 bee hives brought into the state for pollination, and the weather was conducive for good pollination except at the end when it turned wet and cold.  We have had light insect pressure but there were plenty of infection times for mummy berry disease and those who did not protect their plants had significant injury from this disease.  For precipitation at Blueberry Hill Farm, in April we had 6.6 inches, in May we had 4.75 inches and in June we had a near record rainfall of 8.65 inches.  The first two weeks of July we had 3.04 inches, which exceeds the 1 inch per week needed.  The extended cool temperatures and lack of sun have delayed fruit development.  When we get some sun and if we continue to get adequate moisture, I expect a better than average crop of 90 plus million pounds.

Sincerely,

David E. Yarborough
Extension Blueberry Specialist

Used with permission of David E. Yarborough, Maine Extension Blueberry Specialist . For more information, see http://www.wildblueberries.maine.edu/Newsletters/2009/July09.htm

NASS Crop Progress & Condition   For week ending July 19, 2009
Dr. David Yarborough (Ext), Washington: Wild blueberries; Fruit flies are emerging and treatments being applied for control. Growers indicated that in the mid coast area the crop was better than average and Downeast less than average so overall an average crop (80 million pounds) is predicted. A new disease, Valdensinia. has emerged in fields in Maine and growers have been alerted to identify and burn affected area to prevent disease spread. See: http://www.wildblueberries.maine.edu/PDF/Disease/Valdensinia.pdf

Courtesy of New England Agricultural Review  A field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, United States Department of Agriculture.  Gary Keough, Director.    http://www.nass.usda.gov/nh/,

Maine Wild Blueberry Survey

Concord, New Hampshire – New England Agricultural Statistics will be contacting Maine wild blueberry growers in May to participate in the 2009 wild blueberry survey. The results of this survey help promote industry growth by supplying important data to all involved in production and marketing. Maine is the number one producer of wild blueberries nationally and is the only state which publishes wild blueberry statistics in the USDA’s Non-citrus Fruits and Nuts Release.
“The Wild Blueberry Growers Survey is the only chance to officially measure the production and price received for processed and fresh berries in Maine,” explained Gary Keough, director or the NASS New England Field Office. Approximately 400 Maine growers will be asked for their help in this effort. The survey will be mailed at the end of April with a phone follow-up in mid-May.  
As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. “NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified,” stated Keough.
NASS will contact Maine wild blueberry growers by mail or telephone and ask them to provide information on their acreage, production, disposition and prices received for the 2008 crop. The information will be compiled and analyzed, then published in the Maine Wild Blueberries report from the New England Agricultural Statistics on July 31, 2009. This report will be available on the Internet at www.nass.usda.gov/nh. Complimentary copies will be mailed to survey participants upon request.  
Additional information about final production and value estimates for the 2008 Maine wild blueberry crop will be available in the Non-citrus Fruit and Nut Report from Washington, D.C. on July 8, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. All reports from Washington, D.C. are available on the Internet at www.nass.usda.gov.
For more information on NASS surveys and reports, contact the NASS New England Field Office at 1-800-642-9571 or through e-mail at nass-nh@nass.usda.gov.


Jennifer M. Zaleski
New England Field Office, NASS, USDA
Toll Free 1 - 800 - 642 -9571
Direct: 1 - 603 - 227 - 3136
Fax: 1 - 603 - 225 - 1434
jennifer_zaleski@nass.usda.gov

Statistics courtesy of New England Agricultural Review  A field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, United States Department of Agriculture.  Gary Keough, Director.    http://www.nass.usda.gov/nh/,