The makeup of the commission that promotes Maine's wild blueberries is going to be changed to do a better job of touting the state's important agricultural crop.
The Legislature approved a proposal to increase the number of members on the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine from eight to 10 and encourage participation from different sectors of the industry. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills recently signed the proposal into law.
The commission's role is to coordinate promotion, education, policy, research and development of wild blueberries, among Maine's best known crops. The industry has faced low prices to growers and declines in the size of the harvest in recent years.
The proposal states that five members of the commission must be representatives for growers, potentially including organic growers and members of tribal groups.
