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
18 Aug 2023
The International Congress entitled "WHICH BIOSOLUTIONS FOR QUALITY CHERRIES?" will provide answers to some of the most prominent issues in modern cherry growing on Thursday, 9 May as part of Macfrut 2024, Rimini - Italy.
22 Oct 2024
Cracking is not necessarily linked to water absorption but rather to the duration of wetness presence on the fruit surface. Temperature models obtained through LiDAR 4D revealed that sweet cherry tree canopy density has a marginal impact on wetness formation.
20 Jul 2026
A WSU study shows how heatwaves, low temperatures during bloom and environmental stress affect firmness, stems, pitting and postharvest cherry quality in Washington State, with different responses across Rainier, Bing, Skeena and Sweetheart cultivars in hot seasons.
20 Jul 2026
A study by Miguel Hernández University in Elche shows that natural treatments with putrescine and spermidine can raise sweet cherry yields in Spain by up to 40%, reduce rain-induced cracking, and improve fruit firmness, color, flavor and overall market quality too.
