A report by Apple and Pear Australia Limited, which forecast apple losses of 11.6 per cent from the national market due to summer’s hailstorms, may need re-calculating after last month’s storm which affected farmers in the northern Goulburn Valley.
The APAL report also attributed forecast losses of 35.1 per cent for pears due primarily to the December 22 hailstorm.
The report said the changes in supply would enable ‘weightier’ negotiations for sales this year.
“Growers will be in a unique position to have more robust conversations with the retailers around fair fruit prices,” the report said.
“With a smaller crop of good quality fruit and steady consumer demand, we expect prices for apples and pears to be stronger than in 2022.”
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell last month told parliament that fruit which had been hail damaged was ‘kissed by Mother Nature’, and that supermarkets should work with customers to ensure growers were able to sell marketable fruit.
Manto’s Produce owner John Mantovani said he sourced up to 90 per cent of the produce for his Cobram store from local growers and the storms would impact his market.
Mr Mantovani said his business bought damaged apples from growers to make dried fruit apple chips.
“All of the apple chips are made from damaged fruit,” he said.
Mr Mantovani said there would be a delay in how the storm damage would affect supplies.
“Reduced apple supplies won’t come into effect until later in the year, perhaps around August.
“There is a carry over of fruit in storage from last year’s season which will bridge the gap.
“However, the Pink Ladies are the last variety of apple to ripen so they may be affected.”
APAL said prices for apples and pears this year would be stronger than in 2022 due to a smaller crop of good quality fruit and steady consumer demand.
The Federal Government’s fruit netting program was successful in helping some apple farmers protect their crops from hail damage, with funding available to orchardists on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt recently wrote to Mr Birrell to suggest similar funds would be made available in the May federal budget.
The program ended in October 2022 and funding was administered through state and territory governments.
According to Fruit Growers Victoria there remains $5.2 million from the initial $11 million allocated to the state.
A Victorian Government spokesperson would not confirm whether all of Victoria’s allocated funds had been used.
The spokesperson said further support was available through the Victorian Flood Recovery Package, with initial applications due by April 30.