LOTTSBURG, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Farm Bureau says the state's oyster harvest rose 25 percent last year, passing the 500,000-bushel mark.
Officials say more than 504,000 bushels of oysters were harvested during the 2013-2014 season, up from almost 409,000 bushels in the previous season. The latest harvest is the largest since 1987.
The dockside value of that harvest increased to $22.2 million, with an estimated economic impact of more than $58 million.
Virginia's oyster harvest is a combination of oysters caught in the wild and those grown in cages and bags by aquaculture producers.
Officials say the growth in the harvest is good news for consumers, the local economy and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
