Since 1995, the company Canneberges Québec has been growing blueberries. Originally, they were used to attract natural bumblebees to pollinate cranberries. Today the company could become the largest producer of blueberries grown in Quebec. With the 40,000 blueberry trees planted since 2015, the entrepreneurs of Saint-Louis-de-Blandford hope to one day collect 240,000 pounds of berries a year.
Recently, the company had to invest $ 20,000 for each of the 40 acres processed to date for this crop. This includes management, irrigation and plans. The goal is to reach an automated harvest. The current machines used to pick blueberries are not used for fresh produce. As the blueberries are dropped onto a conveyor, they are slightly damaged by the shock. The product thus collected is intended for processing.
The company has therefore raised the bar in this project but does not worry about the necessary development time: "It takes four or five years to say that everything is perfect", testifies Patrick Bédard, head of the company.
19/11/2018
