New Brunswick's wild blueberry sector reports that production losses in 2025 exceed the scope of the province's new compensation scheme. A report prepared for NB Blueberries by consulting firm Stiletto estimates that growers lost more than 43 million pounds, with industry losses at US$21.6 million. The average shortfall per farm was about US$157,000.
The provincial government has announced US$1.5 million in assistance for Crown land leaseholders who could not harvest during wildfire-related closures in August. The program provides US$145 per 0.40 hectare, capped at US$100,000 per producer.
NB Blueberries general manager Don Arseneault said the support acknowledges the sector but does not match the scale of losses. He noted that private land producers were also affected when Crown land closures restricted access to their fields. "The fact that they talked about the industry and they provided some formal financial assistance, you know, I have to give them credit, but that, you know, obviously it doesn't meet the challenge that we're facing," he said.
Arseneault added that producers were not consulted before the program was created, unlike in Nova Scotia, where growers were involved in wildfire policy decisions. He also said the crop's two-year cycle means losses will extend into the next season. "The damage I was done this year will probably have an impact next year as well," he said.
NB Blueberries is asking the provincial government to work with Canada's federal authorities on an AgriRecovery program similar to the support previously made available to potato growers. Arseneault said longer-term changes to crop insurance and risk-management tools are needed to align with wild blueberry production systems.
The Stiletto report also calculated wider economic impacts, including a reduction of more than US$20 million in provincial GDP and about US$3 million in lost tax revenue, reflecting the pressure on rural communities and processors linked to the sector.
Source: your SaintJohn
