The U.S. Department of Agriculture will buy up to 30 million pounds of wild blueberries to help with flagging prices and over-supply.
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation told The Associated Press on Thursday that the agency will pay up to $13 million for the blueberries.
The purchase comes after the delegation sent a letter to the agency in which they said prices of frozen wild blueberries have fallen by as much as half in the last five years.
The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine also says two back-to-back years of big crops have created a wild blueberry backlog.
The purchase could help spell the end of low consumer prices for wild blueberries.
Wild blueberries are harvested commercially in Maine and Canada. They are smaller and have more intense flavor than cultivated blueberries.
