New Brunswick Blueberry Company to Undergo 16-Million Dollar Expansion

In a bid to increase New Brunswick's standing in the world blueberry market, the Acadian Wild Blueberry Company is increasing its cold-storage capacity to more than 45-million kilograms with the construction of an additional facility in the northern part of the province. 

Economic Development Minister Francine Landry, who is also minister responsible for Opportunities NB. says wild blueberry production in the province has tripled over the past decade, and with this year's opening of the Acadian Wild Blueberry processing plant in Saint-Isidore, the industry is expected to grow even larger.”

Acadian Wild Blueberry Co. officially opened its state-of-the-art processing plant in July with cold storage for more than 20 million kilograms. It has two freezing tunnels that can process more than 680,000 kilograms of blueberries per day during the harvest season.

The company is constructing an additional 8,826-square metre cold-storage building. The $16-million expansion will add nearly 25 million kilograms of cold-storage capacity.

Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet says  the New Brunswick blueberry industry needs a strong framework in place that allows smaller, local producers to fully participate.

Opportunities NB will contribute $12 million in the form of a repayable loan. Landry says 35  construction jobs will be created during the expansion.