Features Production Research
N.S. wild blueberry crop under siege

October 7, 2008, Debert, N.S. – Wild animals are laying siege to wild blueberries in Nova Scotia.

October 7, 2008, Debert, N.S. – Wild animals are laying siege to wild blueberries in Nova Scotia.

David Sangster of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia says the destruction in the fields by black bears and white-tailed deer is out of control.

“This year one of the factors that reduced our crop was wildlife, including deer and bears,” he says. “They are not one of the consumers that we want to have.

“It’s a growing concern. We’re getting too much damage in our wild blueberry fields.”

Sangster says there’s been a significant increase in the number of deer, creating ruts with their hooves, feasting on tender buds in the spring, and eating the ripe crop later.

Bears are obliterating beehives and trampling new plant shoots while they enjoy the taste of the juicy berries.

“We’re in the process of documenting the damage and where it occurs and the extent of it,” he says.

“It is not only an additional cost to the growers, it reduces the pollinating force, which has an impact on the yield.”

This summer, wild blueberry growers across the province raked an estimated 40 million pounds of the popular fruit.

Sangster says it was a challenge to get the crop off because of all the rain during the harvest period.

“We set the stage for a bumper crop but then it rained and rained.”

A final tally for this year’s yield is anticipated around the end of the month.