$7M in funding for cranberry industry

Newfoundland and Labrador's cranberry industry received a boost to its bottom line on Wednesday, as farmers and government officials gathered to hear the announcement of $7-million between Ottawa and the province.

The announcement was made at Berry Good Farms near Grand Falls-Windsor.

The provincial government has been trying to build the cranberry industry since the 1990's, and had hoped to hit the 500-acre point,spending more than $5-million over the past five years, but missing the target.

Currently, there is only half of that amount either producing or about to produce.

Thanks to new trade agreements with Europe and Korea, the hope is that farmers will have more places to sell their product.

Getting up to 500 acres would allow farmers to move into what they call value-added products, such as juice and dried cranberry products.

Fabian Power, president of the Cranberry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador said reaching that level wouldprovide the possibility of building a processing plant for the region.

"You can look into putting in what's called a juice extractor, you make concentrate, you've got possibilities of making your own juice, you can look at doing some sweet and dry cranberries, some dried products it's a lot of possibilities when you get to that level," Power said.

Power said developing the land will also bring spin-offs to other industries, as well as many more jobs to the province.