REGINA — A food fight of sorts could be growing between Canada and the United States over a tiny berry.
A U.S. researcher with the Cornell University Co-operative Extension is suggesting Canadians use the name Juneberries when selling Saskatoons south of the border.
The Saskatoon berry, which mostly grows on the Prairies, looks similar to a blueberry but is considered more nutritious.
Researcher Jim Ochterski says there is a surge in demand for the berry in the U.S., where it has been known for years as the Juneberry.
Ochterski says there are marketing dollars at stake and Canadians might benefit if they use the name Juneberry on packaging because it’s what American consumers know.
In a letter to the Saskatoon Berry Council of Canada, Ochterski says he raises the issue with “a pang of compunction” because he knows how much work has gone into marketing the Saskatoon berry and its deep roots in Canadian prairie culture.