Cranberry production rising

Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) may be grown in acid peat bogs or acid sand beds. The Ontario industry is peat-based and consists primarily of 2 commercial bogs located near Bala, Muskoka. New bogs have been established in Eastern Ontario, raising Ontario's total acreage to 114 planted acres. Ontario is a significant net user of cranberry products, importing close to 10 million dollars worth of cranberry products each year. Recent health reports linking cranberry juice to reduced urinary infections has created huge demand world-wide for the product. The existing growers have recently formed The Ontario Cranberry Growers. This organization will allow the growers to represent the cranberry industry and to encourage orderly expansion of Ontario's productive capacity and the value-added sector. New growers are encouraged to join the organization. Production in Ontario is mainly on the Laurentian Shield and areas in eastern Ontario where granite bedrock predominates. This area is characterized by acidic sand or peat deposits, acidic water and the absence limestone. Main production areas in Canada are British Columbia and Quebec, with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick expanding their production. However, there are thousands of acres of bogs and sands in Ontario that are suitable for cranberry production. Wisconsin and Massachusetts have the highest acreage of cranberries in the United States. New Jersey, Oregon and Washington have significant production. Expansion in many of these areas is constrained by encroaching development and availability of suitable bogs or sand beds.