News about Australia

Australia grapples with bad weather: up to 90% losses in the southern part of the country

Markets

13 Dec 2024

Unseasonable weather conditions have caused a significant reduction in harvests, with some orchards in Manjimup, about 300 km south of Perth, suffering losses of more than 90%.

GP Graders' AI to support cherry production in Chile

Post-harvest​

12 Dec 2024

With Chile leading the world in cherry exports, especially to markets such as China, GP Graders' innovations are proving to be a key element in maintaining the country's competitiveness. The incorporation of AI improves product quality and system efficiency.

Record-breaking cherries: box sold for AUD 165,000

Markets

09 Dec 2024

The auction will see the amount go to 2024's charity partner, Little Wings. The organisation provides free, safe and professional air and ground transportation to seriously ill children in regional and rural towns in New South Wales, Australia and Queensland.

Australian cherry season takes off: target 5,000 tonnes also thanks to Chinese markets

Markets

05 Dec 2024

Given the competition from Chilean cherries, Cherry Growers Australia emphasized that maintaining the superior quality of Australian cherries is essential to offer customers the tastiest product on the market. Last season, Australia exported 4,030 tonnes of cherries.

Lucaston Park Orchards: growth through technology and automation

Post-harvest​

29 Nov 2024

“The way technology detects defects, precisely identifies colors, and sorts sizes is far superior to what mechanical sorters and humans could achieve. Considering the large volumes we handle and the high standards we need to meet today, using optical sorting is simply a must.”

Australia's 2024 cherry season: a new beginning!

Markets

22 Nov 2024

The president of Cherry Growers Australia, Alison Jones, shared with ABC Rural that this season's conditions have been much more favorable, with a warm climate and excellent production resulting in high-quality fruit.

Somercotes (Tasmania) cherries ready for a promising season

Production

04 Nov 2024

The Somercotes farm was founded in 1823 and currently produces around 20 varieties of cherries on 50 hectares, With the Tasmanian cherry harvest season now imminent, the Somercotes team is very excited about this year's prospects.

Tips on monitoring and control of Botrytis and brown rot in sweet cherry trees

Crop protection

24 Oct 2024

An effective spray program for downy mildew and brown rot involves a combined approach of protective cover sprays and curative fungicides, as needed, from bud burst to flowering and through to harvest, depending on weather conditions and disease pressure.

New climate-resistant cherry varieties for Australian growers

Varieties

22 Oct 2024

The technical manager of Bloom Fresh for Australia and New Zealand, Arisa Hayashi, emphasized that these new varieties, unlike traditional cherry varieties, which require 800-1,000 hours of chilling, these new cherries require less than half that.

Cherries and climate: how new varieties are helping Australian farmers

Varieties

16 Oct 2024

Developed by the international breeding company Bloom Fresh, the low-temperature varieties have been planted with the hope of increasing supply to meet the appetite of Australians and exports for these festive fruits.