Report: Cranberry growers want to destroy crops so prices can go up

BOSTON (KGO) -- You may soon have to pay more for cranberries and the reason why may surprise you.

Turns out, growers want to destroy millions of pounds of their crops so prices can go up.

According to the Boston Globe, cranberry farmers are struggling with an oversupply.

So much so, that they're asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture for authorization to sell 75 percent of the supply and then dump the rest.

If the government approves their request, farmers would hold back roughly 100 million pounds of cranberries.

Jack Angley is owner of Flax Pond Farms in Carver. He says overproduction means "we're not getting much money for our crops."

The USDA estimates the cost to produce a barrel of cranberries is $35, but the average price last year was $31.50.

The Associated Press Contributed to this report.