News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) - A new process to lease Crown land for wild blueberry development was released today by the provincial government.

“The blueberry industry in New Brunswick is taking flight and as a government we are committed to supporting our local growers,” said Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Michael Olscamp. “We believe that we have an opportunity to see this industry prosper as a result of the growing demand and the health benefits of wild blueberries. That is why we announced this new process which will make it easier for developers to obtain land and commercially produce wild blueberries.”

Under the new program, Crown land that is available to lease for producing wild blueberries will be pre-identified. A public tendering process which is transparent, equitable and timely for the applicant will be used to allocate the land.

This new process is streamlined compared to the former one in which clients made application with no guarantee the lands were available for lease. The new process also reduces timelines for decisions on applications. Applicants need to meet minimum criteria to be eligible for the land and are then placed in a draw for the site(s) if there are competing interests.

Today’s announcement is in response to a commitment made in the New Brunswick Wild Blueberry Sector Strategy released in October 2013. The government consulted with NB Blueberries, L’Association des producteurs de bleuets sauvages du Nord-Est du Nouveau- Brunswick and the New Brunswick Wild Blueberry Sector Strategy Steering Committee in developing the new process.

Further details on the Crown Land Lease Allocation Process for Wild Blueberry Cultivation is available online.