15/01/2024
🍑 Update on Victoria's Stone Fruit Situation 🍑
For the second consecutive year, severe weather in Victoria has dealt a blow to the region's stone fruit production, impacting 75% of Australia's total harvest, including nectarines, peaches, plums, and apricots. Recent storms post-Christmas wreaked havoc on Swan Hill and the Goulburn Valley, causing substantial damage to hundreds of tonnes of fruit.
Our client, Dean Morpeth, Chairman of Summerfruit Australia, shared insights with ABC News, revealing that 20% to 40% of Swan Hill's fruit remains unharvested, facing potential damage and significant financial losses for growers. Hail left visible marks on the fruit, rendering it unsaleable, while heavy rain compromised the skin, making it prone to rot. Consequently, a considerable portion of damaged fruit may go to waste or be repurposed as animal feed, posing financial challenges for growers.
Major supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths are evaluating the impact on stone fruit availability, as farmers strive to meet stringent retail standards. Some fruit, still fit for human consumption, has been downgraded to "class two," resulting in reduced payments for growers.
We hope that all of the major retailers can find a way to support the Victorian Stone Fruit growers. Perhaps a campaign similar to South Australia’s Hailstorm Heroes, that previously supported apple and pear growers, is needed?
Read the full ABC article here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-01-12/storms-ravage-victorias-stone-fruit-season-as-swan-hill-goulburn/103309162
Weeks of wild weather in Victoria is likely to mean less stone fruit on supermarket shelves, after hail and heavy rain smashed Australia's main production regions, costing growers millions of dollars in losses.
