BOURNE, Mass. (AP) -Cape Cod’s cranberry growers say a drier-than-normal August and September will mean a smaller-than-normal crop.

But that could help farmers financially by reducing a persistent glut in the market.

This summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted about 1.8 million barrels of cranberries would be produced in the Cape region this year. But Jeffrey LaFleur of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association said the number will most likely be about 1.5 million barrels.

LaFleur said the dry weather also is causing many growers to irrigate their bogs in early October, which is costly.

LaFleur said the bright side will likely be an increase in the price per barrel, to about $45 dollars. It was about $37 per barrel last year.

AP-ES-10-06-07 1043EDT