South Australian cherry growers suffered their worst harvest in 50 years due to pre-Christmas storms, losing up to 70 per cent of their crop. Fruit Producers SA managing director Grant Piggott explained that three storms have hit cherry producing areas, with the most recent one hitting when the cherries were ripe, causing significant losses.
The Adelaide Hills experienced double the average December rainfall in just five days, making it the worst situation in 50 years according to long-time industry insiders. Farm staff had to remove hundreds of tonnes of storm-damaged cherries, causing a major crisis in the industry.
In the days leading up to Christmas, cherry prices reached $50 per kilo due to the shortage caused by the storms. However, according to Piggott, the situation 'improved' after the storms thanks to new sorting methods. Fruit Producers SA has invested in grading equipment that uses a camera to select high quality cherries, increasing the quantity of fruit on the market and reducing waste.
Despite this, some growers, such as Fiona Hall of New South Wales, had to 'abandon' entire crops because of the damage they suffered. Rains at the wrong time filled the cherries with water, causing the skin to split and making the crop unfit for consumption.
However, there is one positive note: the cherry harvest in Tasmania went well, with abundant quantities of high quality fruit compared to the previous year. This is a relief for the industry, offering an alternative supply at a time when the rest of the country is facing serious problems due to storms and rains.
Read the full article: The Guardian
02 Jul 2024
Nicolas Borowiec, an INRAE engineer specialising in biological control by acclimatisation, emphasises that 'this parasitoid was selected because it attacks D. suzukii effectively and specifically in ripening fruit, thus limiting undesirable effects'.
21 Jul 2023
The Boni Silvano and Ezio farm is a family-run business located in the municipality of Affi (Verona, Italy), near Lake Garda. The farm has 5 hectares of cherry production, divided between early, medium and late varieties, with a production exceeding 40 tonnes per year.
01 Dec 2025
Fruit cracking leads to significant economic losses in Mediterranean orchards. Advanced sensing technologies and precision agriculture now allow growers to detect early stress signals, reduce fruit splitting, improve resource efficiency and enhance overall crop sustainability.
01 Dec 2025
Cherry season exposes the limits of self-care as a safety model. Is it a personal duty or a sign of poor risk management? When risks increase, only structured systems—not individual willpower—can ensure health and safety for all workers in the field.
