New Brunswick wild blueberry sector strategy 2013-2018 : Stratégie du Nouveau-Brunswick en matière de production du bleuet sauvage 2013-2018

In order to keep up with demand, New Brunswick must: 1. Develop at least 20,000 new acres over the next decade through a combination of private and Crown land; 2. E nsure adequate resources are available to maintain road access to existing developments and facilitate future expansions; 3. Improve the availability and use of pollinators to provide three hives/acre; 4. Research and adopt other produ [...] Growth in the demand for wild blueberry products represents not only an opportunity to grow the primary production sector in New Brunswick, but also for New Brunswick companies to diversify or grow into the value-added food and bioproducts sector. [...] A review of the wild blueberry sector in New Brunswick reveals the following main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT): 3 Acres New Brunswick Wild Blueberry Sector Strategy 2013-2018 Strengths • Native crop suited to New Brunswick growing conditions • Access to large tracts of land well-suited to blueberries that is unencumbered (Crown land) that can permit controlled developmen [...] As is the case with all small agriculture commodity groups, the availability of products to assist in the management of pests can be limited by the relatively high investment incurred by crop protection companies to obtain registration for their products given the limited potential revenues from usage in a minor crop such as wild blueberries. [...] Innovation and investments in product processing technology and pre-commercial development efforts, as targeted in the New Brunswick Value-added Food and Bioscience Sector Strategies, are equally relevant in the encouragement of wild blueberry processing efforts.