The 2025 wild blueberry harvest on Prince Edward Island (PEI) largely concluded by the week of September 8, with yields down 20 to 30 per cent across much of the province. Ben Nabuurs, president of the PEI Wild Blueberry Growers Association, estimated losses of around 25 per cent, though some areas recorded higher reductions.
A typical PEI harvest produces about 22 million pounds of wild blueberries. This season's total is expected to be closer to 17 to 18 million pounds, a shortfall of 4 to 5 million pounds. Despite promising conditions earlier in the season with good survival from a soft winter and no frost damage during blossoming, extended heat and drought through July and August reduced fruit weight. Nabuurs noted, "We had a lot of days at 30 degrees during the day and over 20 at night, from mid-July and into mid-August. You could see the weight coming out of the berries. They still tasted good, but there just wasn't the moisture in them."
Field reports varied, with some growers noting abundant but smaller berries, while others had fewer but slightly larger fruit. Nabuurs' own farm, more than 200 acres (81 hectares), received scattered thunderstorms in August that provided limited relief. His harvest ended September 5. Other areas of the province did not benefit from these rains, and overall conditions advanced maturity and shortened the harvest window. Typically lasting into late September, this year's harvest began earlier and ended by late August, with completion up to 10 days ahead of schedule.
In the regional context, PEI fared somewhat better than neighboring provinces. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia reported losses of 35 to 50 per cent, while Maine's crop was down 30 to 35 per cent. Quebec production was also off by 20 to 30 per cent. Restrictions in New Brunswick, including temporary bans on Crown land access during harvest, added to grower challenges.
Prices remain a key concern for producers. An early-season price of US$0.40 per pound from Oxford Frozen Foods was met with concern, while Wyman's offered US$0.50. With supply down across Eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, grower prices are expected to rise. "Processors are obviously going to be short," Nabuurs said. "That should push the price up, but we won't know for sure until the processors release their figures, which is usually sometime in October."
Despite lower yields, quality was reported as strong in the early harvest. Later fruit showed signs of moisture stress, including shriveling and wrinkling. Nabuurs noted that the 2025 season underscored the crop's dependence on timely rainfall: "We had no frost, good pollination, everything looked excellent into early July. But without water, that meant nothing."
Source: Island Farmer