Sweden Faces Lingonberry Shortage

Sweden's famous lingonberries could become a much dearer commodity this year, as the annual crop is expected to produce only half as many berries as normal, which will likelyl lead to much higher lingonberry prices.

According to The Local, Sweden's blueberries are also expected to produce a much smaller crop than normal this year. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences released its annual forecast this week, and it predicts that this year's berry crops will yield only half the normal supply of blueberries and lingonberries. In some regions, the lingonberry crop this year is 80 percent below the annual average, which represents a record low since the university started keeping records in 2003.

It is not yet clear what exactly is causing the reduced berry yields, but prices are expected to rise dramatically as a result of the smaller supply.

"It's hard to say what the cause is," said the university's Ola Langval, "but the dry weather can definitely play a role."