Nut Talk

US: July's heat heavily damaged Oregon's blueberry crops
One-hundred-degree heat in July caused a sharp reduction in the Oregon blueberry crop, as many growers had feared. The latest estimate for the 2006 blueberry harvest is about 34 million pounds -- 6 million pounds less than was projected, according to the Oregon Blueberry Commission.
Before the July heat wave, which coincided with harvest time, it had been shaping up to be a bumper crop. The heat reduced yields, and berries were sunburned. "We just got slammed with those triple-digit hot days," said Oregon Blueberry Commission administrator Bryan Ostlund. The good news for growers is that price and demand for blueberries remain strong.