The winning bid of 165,000 Australian dollars was made by Talal and Joanne Khanafer with the support of Sydney Markets, Sydney Markets Credit Services, and a group of Sydney Markets companies. A box of cherries from the Warby Ranges in the northeast of Victoria was sold for a record-breaking 165,000 Australian dollars during the annual Cherry Ball hosted by the Sydney Markets Foundation.
The box of cherries came from Smiths Fruit in Wangaratta, which has been operating for nearly 150 years, and was specially selected during an official tasting event before the cherry auction. The winning bid of 60,000 dollars was made by Talal and Joanne Khanafer of Trims Fresh Merrylands, with additional donations totaling 105,000 Australian dollars, including 25,000 dollars from Sydney Markets on behalf of its shareholders, 20,000 dollars from Sydney Markets Credit Services, and another 60,000 dollars from a consortium of Sydney Markets companies and individuals.
The cherry auction will see the full amount of 165,000 dollars donated to the 2024 charity partner, Little Wings. The organization provides free, safe, and professional air and ground transport to seriously ill children in regional and rural towns of New South Wales, Australia, and Queensland. The annual Cherry Auction has raised approximately 2 million Australian dollars since its inception in 1980. Meegan George, CEO of the Sydney Markets Foundation, stated that the cherry auction allows the market community to celebrate the stone fruit season in style, along with the fresh produce industry and corporate donors.
Little Wings CEO Clare Pearson expressed her excitement about the outcome and the support shown by the market community. “The funds raised by the Sydney Markets Foundation will help families in our regional communities continue to access vital transport services, enabling their children to reach appointments, clinics, and treatments,” said Pearson.
Read the full article: Fruitnet
Image: Fruitnet
26 May 2023
Danese Group has been active in the refrigeration systems sector for over 30 years. In this interview, Matteo Danese analyses with Cherry Times the solutions developed for companies in the cherry sector.
29 Apr 2025
Optimizing water efficiency in cherry production is essential for sustainable agriculture. Strategies such as Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) improve yield and crop resilience in a context of increasing water scarcity worldwide.
08 Oct 2026
In eastern Gansu, China, a study on sweet cherry compares Apis mellifera and Apis cerana. Flower visits, pollen distribution, abundance and daily activity reveal complementary roles that may strengthen pollination services and resilience across commercial cherry orchards.
08 Oct 2026
Climate change is putting Italian cherries under pressure: in Puglia, production and yields are falling while prices remain high. Frost, heavy rain and rising costs are increasing volatility across the supply chain and weighing on both growers and consumers in Italy.
