Lingonberry and blueberry are the most common Finnish berries. They are delicious and full of vitamins, but what’s best is that they are available for anyone thanks to the Finnish everyman’s rights!

Lingonberry thrives in light and arid habitats, and is generally found in a young pine forest. Blueberry occurs especially in damp and shady habitats. The best harvest of blueberry can be obtained from an old, but not too dense coniferous forest. Silvicultural treatments always affect the understorey vegetation, and therefore also impact the habitats of berries. Thinnings increase the occurrence of both blueberry and lingonberry, because more light and space for growth becomes available in the forest floor. However, clear cutting causes immediate collapse in the blueberry population whereas lingonberry adapts to the changes in growth conditions better. In continuous cover forestry, also the crop of berries remains more even.

A skilled berry picker can harvest up to 65 kg of blueberry or 100 kg of lingonberry daily with a berry picker. The market price for blueberries cleaned of debris is EUR 3-4 per kg and for lingonberries EUR 1.5 per kg. Thus, an energetic and outdoorsy person can earn up to EUR 260 of tax-free income per day.

Forest management measures can be planned keeping in mind the preservation of berry crops as well as other recreational values.  We at Bluewhite Bioforest can help you combine your different forest values and goals!