By Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine - Maine's wild blueberry crop was better than expected this year despite a drought that has hit some sectors of New England agriculture hard.
The executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine says the state most likely hit its five-year average of about 93 million pounds. Nancy McBrady says irrigation and a strong year for pollination buoyed Maine's crop this year.
Maine produces far more wild blueberries than any other state in the U.S.
Wild blueberry prices have been somewhat low in recent years.
The industry has struggled recently with oversupply and competition from Canada, where the dollar is weak. Prices of wild blueberries produced in some eastern Canada provinces have been lower than American blueberries recently.
