Yarborough quoted in Maine Public report on plummeting blueberry prices
David Yarborough, a professor in the University of Maine’s School of Food and Agriculture and wild blueberry specialist with Cooperative Extension, was quoted in a Maine Public report about how blueberry growers in the state are struggling with plummeting prices. Yarborough said the berries can be roughly categorize into two groups: cultivated, or “highbush,” and wild, or “lowbush.” Wild blueberries, those found only in Maine and parts of Canada, are smaller, have a more complex flavor and contain higher levels of antioxidants than their cultivated high bush cousins, he said. Other countries have recently boosted cultivated berry efforts, which are now competing with wild berries, according to the report. Yarborough said some wild blueberry growers will likely be forced out of business while others will try to hang on until prices turn around. He said if consumers buy and eat more Maine wild blueberries, it will help turn the market around. The Maine Public report was published by the Bangor Daily News and cited by the Associated Press and Mainebiz. The Portland Press Herald carried the AP report.