Last week ATTTA was pleased to attend the Nova Scotia Wild Blueberry Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia (WBPANS). The event is held annually for those involved in the Nova Scotia wild blueberry industry and provides an opportunity for networking and education. This year’s event was held in Truro, NS on November 16th and 17th. In this week’s blog, we will share some of the highlights from the event.
Summary of the 2023 Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia Annual General Meeting
The event occurred on November 16th and 17th,
where over 200 representatives from the wild blueberry industry were in
attendance, including blueberry growers, beekeepers, pesticide and agriculture
equipment suppliers/manufacturers, Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture
representatives, and university researchers. Throughout both days, people had
the opportunity to visit various exhibits at the tradeshow. Perennia and ATTTA
had a joint exhibit, where our team enjoyed speaking with blueberry growers,
and other representatives of the industry.
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During the morning of the WBPANS annual general meeting, the
group heard from the WBPANS president David Harrison. Following the opening
remarks from the WBPANS president, the group had presentations on the “Wild
Blueberry Market”, a “Wild Blueberry Extension Report” from Hugh Lyu (Perennia Wild
Blueberry Specialist), and a presentation on “Wild Blueberry Health Research”.
During the afternoon of November 16th, the WBPANS
held their annual business meeting. Multiple presentations occurred during the
2023 business meeting, including an industry update from the Minister of
Agriculture, the Honorable Greg Morrow, WBPANS Executive Directors Report from
Peter Burgess, and a report from the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture
(NSFA). Day one of the conference concluded with a banquet, which was attended
by 74 industry representatives.
Day two of the conference highlighted various research being
done to support the wild blueberry industry. ATTTA was fortunate to give a
research update about our 2023 projects. We will be discussing the results of
our 2023 projects in an upcoming blog for those interested in learning more
about the research ATTTA does. Additionally, ATTTA launched our new best
management practice guide “Protecting pollinators from pesticides” which will
be available online soon!
There were multiple presentations from Dalhousie University
representatives, including Dr. Scott White, Dr. Travis Esau, Dr. Chris Cutler,
and Dr. David Percival. These presentations covered a wide variety of new
research, including weed management, optimizing blueberry harvest efficiency,
updates on blueberry pest species, and blueberry disease management.
After a challenging growing season, this event was an
opportunity for all members of the wild blueberry association, and for those
who work to support the industry, to share their experiences from this past
season. The 2023 season presented difficult growing challenges not seen in
recent memory. Due to extreme weather conditions, there was reduced yields for
growers, and, unfortunately, there was a rapid decrease in market prices. As
many people said throughout the conference, a combination of weather and economic
events made farming difficult. However, the biggest take away from this event
is that the wild blueberry industry is resilient, and it works to produce a quality
product for which there is an ongoing demand. Therefore, the industry remains
optimistic for a more profitable 2024 season.
Thank you to all members of WBPANS who helped organize this
great event. Also, thank you to all the sponsors of the event, and to those who
work to support the wild blueberry industry of Nova Scotia.
Connecting with ATTTA Specialists
If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:
visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/
Email abyers@perennia.ca