This past weekend the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the Bleuets New Brunswick Blueberries (BNBB) Annual Conference in Moncton, NB. The event was very well attended with approximately 200 combined attendees including delegates, industry representatives and trade show presenters. Read this week’s blog to learn the highlights of the event.
A Review of Bleuets NB Blueberries Annual Conference 2024
On May 3rd and 4th the Bleuets NB
Blueberries held their annual conference for members of the wild blueberry
industry. The event began on Friday afternoon with a welcome from outgoing BNBB
president René Chiasson followed by a smudging ceremony provided by David
Paul. The Hon. Margaret Johnson gave a
review of the importance of the blueberry sector for the province of New
Brunswick and an overview of the strategic direction for the industry in the
next number of years. Overall, an
exciting time of growth and expansion for the New Brunswick wild blueberry
industry was presented by Minister Johnson.
Bleuets New Brunswick
Blueberries Conference: Outgoing president René Chaisson receiving a gift in
recognition of his leadership of the association for the past four years (also
pictured, right, Donald Arseneault, directeur general, Bleuets NB Blueberries).
A federal guaranteed loan program, Advanced Payments
Program, was outlined by Kara Chisholm, Executive Director of Agric-Commodity
Management Association. This program is
designed to help farmers, including blueberry producers and beekeepers, with cashflow. Advances are available to farmers each year
between April 1 and August 31st annually. The Program is being managed by the
Agri-Commodity group for New Brunswick blueberry producers and details are
available from Kara or her team members.
A marketing campaign aimed to promote wild blueberry
consumption in the province of New Brunswick is supported by the NBBA and
managed by the Ginger Agency. A
presentation by Sarah Martell, the agency’s president, outlined the promotional
activities and social media work being done on behalf of blueberry
producers. Sarah’s talk was followed by
board members of WBANA, including Partick O’Neil as the new Executive Director,
who shared all the work this group is doing to support the wild blueberry
industry national and international.
The first day’s events concluded with a “fire-side” chat
with John Bragg of Oxford Frozen Foods.
Mr. Bragg shared his remembrance of the early days of the wild blueberry
industry and some advice for growers when facing the challenges of the
future. A Minister’s reception was a
great finale and provided great opportunities to continue the discussions of
the day.
The event continued May 4th with a presentation
from Gilbert Lavoie (Forest Lavoie Conseil). Lavoie gave an informative
presentation on the various factors impacting the wild blueberry market in
Eastern Canada. Currently, Canada exports 75-85% of their total production to
35 countries, where the exporting price is dictated by supply and demand. The
amount of inventory of wild blueberries drives market price, where there is an
inverse relationship between the inventory and price. Last year, the Maritimes
did not have a surplus production year, with 126 million pounds produced, which
normally helps the market price, but this was not the case in 2023. Cultivated
blueberries can help explain why the market price of wild blueberries was low,
as cultivated blueberries were sold for less than wild blueberries which drove
wild blueberry sales down. Lavoie also discussed how we can improve the wild
blueberry industry moving forward. One of the most important aspects is for
volume and price stability. The industry also needs to promote the added
benefits of wild blueberries to the public, so that consumers are choosing wild
over cultivated blueberries.
There was a presentation from Michel Melanson (Department of
Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries) on behalf of the New Brunswick Wild
Blueberry Pollination Strategy group. The working group consists of 2
representatives from BNBB, 2 from New Brunswick Beekeepers’ Association, 1 from
ATTTA, and selected members from the NB Department of Agriculture. The group has
developed a 5-year workplan to help address the need for more pollinators in
New Brunswick.
Melanson discussed the main issues identified by this group,
including honey bee health, market prices of honey and wild blueberries, labor
shortages, and the international movement and availability of colonies. Given
the anticipated increase in wild blueberry production in NB (39,000 acres of
wild blueberry land will increase to 56,600 acres by 2029), the province will
need to increase the current 9,500 NB honey bee colonies to 17,000, and the
current 23,000 imported colonies to 40,000 colonies. Additionally, the number
of leaf cuter bees will need to increase from 5,500 colonies to 7,000, and the
number of bumble bee quads will need to increase from 9,000 to 11,000 to meet
the demand for pollinating units.
The goals of the group include increasing the number of NB
colonies, increasing the number of colonies being imported outside of the
province, increasing the number of leaf cuter and bumble bees available to
growers, and increasing support for native pollinators. Some of the initiatives
of the group include advocating for financial support programs for NB
beekeepers, education on honey bee health, increasing bee yard opportunities,
promoting leaf cuter bees, and surveying the current need for bumble bees.
David Percival (Dalhousie University) gave a presentation on
UAV systems and agrochemical delivery. He discussed the use of several systems
for both the delivery of pesticides and nutrients. Percival discussed the use
of these systems to develop fescue maps, which identifies where agrochemicals
need to be sprayed for fescue and saves product and money by not providing a
blanket pesticide application.
Dr. Lily Calderwood (University of Maine) gave a
presentation on the current research being done regarding the use of mulch in
wild blueberry fields. The use of mulch is useful in drought conditions, where
it helps a field retain water for longer due to the increased water holding
capacity compared to soil. Mulch also has the added benefit of smothering
weeds, decreasing the amount of leaf spot disease, and decreasing tip midge
presence. The study found wood chips to be the best choice for mulch in wild
blueberry fields.
Dr. Craig MacEachern (Dalhousie University) discussed
optimizing field efficiency during wild blueberry harvest with the use of
various harvesters, and the benefit of having autosteer. The use of autosteer
maximizes the amount of blueberries being harvested, and it also significantly
helps the operator do their job.
The final presentation of the morning was from Colleen Craig
on behalf of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA). Colleen
discussed the various projects WBANA funds all related to the health benefits
of wild blueberries.
During the afternoon, ATTTA program lead, Dr. Andrew Byers, presented
details of the overall work of the group and upcoming research in 2024. The
team has a variety of projects lined-up, which will focus on honey bee health
in the Maritimes; maximizing pollinator efficiency; and research on non-Apis
pollinators. John MacDonald outlined a
body of work planned for the next few years which will also provide him with an
opportunity to complete his MSc degree with Dalhousie University. This collaborative effort will develop tools
and models for improved placement and ultimately removal of honey bees placed
on blueberry fields.
Other presentations of the event included Dr. Marion Tétégan Simon (VALORÉS) who gave a presentation on the fertilization
requirements of wild blueberries and discussed current climate concerns for
growers. The NB Agri-Alliance discussed options for addressing seasonal
workforce needs. Finally, the event wrapped up with a presentation from Cedric
MacLeod (Living Lab New Brunswick) who discussed the work of his team and
explained various options for farmers to manage greenhouse gas emissions.
Thank you to all members of the BNBB who helped organize
this event, and to those who work to support the wild blueberry industry in New
Brunswick.