Competition Bureau investigates alleged blueberry price-fixing

Canada's competition regulatoris investigating allegations of anti-competitive conduct in the wild blueberry industry.

SpokespersonVronique Aupry said the federal Competition Bureau is gathering evidence to determine the facts, and there has been no conclusion of wrongdoing and no charges have been laid.

The North Eastern New BrunswickWild Blueberry Growers Association said in a news release it has been told the investigation is focused on anallegationthat growers from the Maritime provinces are the victims of an alleged price-fixing conspiracy by processors operating in the three provinces.

The association said it did not file the complaint and doesn't know who did.

Association president Louis-Philippe McGraw said in the statement that he welcomed the investigation, suggesting it could put an end to long-running suspicions by berry growersabout how prices are set.

He urged all growers to co-operate with the federal agency.

Last year, the price paid to wild blueberry producersfell below 20 cents per pound, an all-time low, according to the Wild Blueberry Producers of Nova Scotia.

In 2003, hundreds ofwild blueberry growers in Maine won a class-action lawsuit against three processors they accused of price-fixing over a period of years.

One of thoseprocessors, Cherryfield Foods, is a division of Oxford Frozen Foods, which is based in Oxford, N.S.