Massachusetts Invests Nearly $1M To Improve Local Cranberry Bogs

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts cranberry growers are getting assistance to help overhaul their bogs.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's administration announced this week that 21 growers have received a total of nearly $1 million for bog renovation projects.

The new grant program is meant to help growers reduce their environmental impact while making their bogs more efficient and productive.

Farmers are receiving state grants to reconfigure bogs, improve irrigation systems and plant higher-yield cranberry varieties.

Baker says the effort comes from a 2016 recommendation from the state's Cranberry Revitalization Task Force.

The price of cranberries has plummeted 57% over the last decade as the industry struggles with overproduction and weakening demand for cranberry juice.

Massachusetts is the nation's second largest cranberry growing region after Wisconsin. It has 363 farms on more than 13,555 acres.

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