A popular food for the upcoming holidays, the cranberry is an essential side dish to any Thanksgiving meal.
Yet, cranberry inventories in the U.S. Have gotten so high that those in the industry are hoping the government approves of a program that would allow them to compost excess supply, according to Bloomberg.
The goal would be to restore a balance of supply and demand in the industry as prices fall due to the glut, those involved in the proposal told Bloomberg. It’s possible the U.S. Department of Agriculture could approve the proposed disposal plan this week.
While demand for cranberries is at its highest this time of the year, the number of cranberries in inventories by September was large enough to satisfy consumption numbers, Bloomberg reported.
Wisconsin — the ground zero of cranberry harvesting in the U.S. — had asked the Department of Agriculture to lower production back in August to avoid a glut like this, Wisconsin’s Public Radio station reported. If approved, the department would subsidize a two-year program to reduce production incrementally, the radio station reported.