"Wild blueberries are one of Maine's most well-known trademarks because of the hard work and generations of care farmers have dedicated to the industry. We will do everything we can to ensure the sustainability of Maine's blueberry industry in the face of unstable economic times and foreign competition," said Senator Collins.
Under TAA for farmers, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides technical assistance and cash benefits to producers if an increase in imports of a similar commodity has contributed importantly to a decline in price and a loss of income. After investigating blueberry market conditions, the USDA determined that increased imports of frozen wild blueberries contributed to a 33 percent decline in the domestic producer price from July 2002 to July 2003, when compared with the previous five year average. Based on this finding, the USDA may give eligible wild blueberry farmers in Maine 2.8 cents per pound for blueberries they marketed in the same period.