http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201202/s3433198.htm

Fruit and vegetable farmers who want fair prices for their goods, have met with wholesalers in Canberra.

The growers want changes to the Horticultural Code, including setting up a trust fund as well as more clarity on how merchants are operating.

They also want supermarkets and retailers to be bound by the code.

The wholesalers, represented by the Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries, has agreed to work on the changes.

Apple grower Peter Darley says it's a breakthrough.

"One of the big things we did achieve was sitting down with the Chamber (of Fruit and Vegetable Industries), because up until now, we've been at arms length for reasons known to nobody," he said.

"That was a big outcome and certainly, politicians respected that as well."

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/cuisine/fruitful-harvest-20120216-1t9vh.html

A bumper crop is a mixed blessing, writes STEVE MANFREDI.

For those who love stone fruit, it has been an abundant season. But for the farmers who grow peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and cherries, an abundant season is only a good thing if they can sell their crop at a decent price.
Back in November, Nathan Cutri, a grower from Woorinen, in Victoria, was already warning of lower-than-expected prices because of an oversupply and a high Australian dollar.
Australian stone fruit exporters have the advantage of an early start to the season, with a window between November and January. The largest market is Hong Kong, gateway to China.
Second-generation stone fruit grower Michael Tripodi, of Lake Boga, also in Victoria, exported about 15 per cent of his 1000-tonne production this season, all to Hong Kong and all before Chinese New Year.
He says that just before Chinese New Year, Chile flooded the Hong Kong market with 1700 containers of cherries, spelling the end of the export season for Australian stone fruit.
''Chile can land a case of nectarines in Hong Kong for $US10 [$A9.35]. We can't grow them for that price,'' he says.
If the fruit is not sold overseas, growers must sell domestically. More fruit on the local market means lower prices. Good for us but not great for farmers.

smanfredi@smh.com.au

twitter.com/manfredistefano

Exportadora San Andres marketing manager René Wünkhaus speak volumes, literally, about the context of the port’s Chinese New Year oversupply issues. 
“Until week 51 Chile had exported around 30% more to all markets in comparison to the previous season, but the Asian market volume increased by 85% – we went from about 700 to 1,300 containers that were to be sold in a period of about two weeks,” he says.http://www.freshfruitportal.com/2012/01/23/fruit-overload-hits-hk-with-chinese-new-year-logistical-collapse/ 

New research has found ways to reduce cherry cracking after heavy rainfalls. Penny Measham from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture has been studying the causes of large cracks after rain. Ms Measham says the findings have encouraged growers of the high-risk crop. "We've looked at several different techniques that growers can use, techniques that are generally part of normal orchard management such as irrigation and spraying, pruning and found that we can reduce cracking by up to 50 per cent, ah by using these techniques in slightly different ways to normal," he said. Source: news.yahoo.com Publication date: 19/12/2011

Up to 90 per cent of central western New South Wales' cherry crop has been wiped out by widespread heavy rain. Growers in the Orange and Young districts initially estimated almost half of their fruit had been damaged when about 300 millimetres of rain fell in some parts late last year. The New South Wales Cherrygrowers Association says some farmers have only been able to salvage between 10 and 30 per cent of their crops. Ken Perry, who grows cherries south west of Orange, says it has been a devastating season. "Probably 90 per cent of our crop," he said. "Mainly splitting and because of that the fruit became sort of waterlogged. "People don't want it. "I suppose you could sell it for processing but the prices aren't, it's not worth our while going to pick the crop for processing."

The affected growers are hoping to recoup millions of dollars worth of losses after the second consecutive devastating season. Some growers have abandoned picking their cherries and are leaving them on the trees to rot. Mr Perry says many people have lost millions of dollars. "It has created big losses and loss of money coming into Orange, over $1 million," he said. "All the growers in Orange have suffered some losses. "Some people didn't even start their packing sheds this year because they'd lost their whole crop." The Department of Primary Industries says growers are not eligible for natural disaster relief for rain events but growers hope Exceptional Circumstances help may be possible.

Source: abc.net.au

http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=91660

Publication date: 1/13/2012

LIFE'S no bowl of cherries for orchardists planning to export to Thailand.

Australia has lost the important Thailand market for cherries and summerfruit.

The Thai Government's suspension of the Australian produce came into effect at midnight on New Year's Eve and exporters are saying Australia has already lost the market to Chile.

Thailand made the announcement as it moved to draft new protocols for much of the produce it imports, following its signing up to World Trade Organisation rules.

It has indicated it will not take Australian cherries or summerfruit until an audit of Australian growing and export conditions occurs.

Australian Horticultural Exporters Association deputy chairman David Minnis said Thailand had been "difficult to deal with", but he also blamed Biosecurity Australia for the suspension.

"They could have presented evidence and pressed the Thais a lot harder than they did," he said.

Mr Minnis said Thai customers had already switched to buying Chilean produce in anticipation of the ban.

The Weekly Times believes Thailand wanted cold treatment to be used to ensure no Queensland fruit fly made it to Thailand.

But stone fruit trade to Thailand is done by air and cold treatment is impractical.

Mr Minnis said there was no replacement for the lost Thai market.

Australia's stone fruit trade to Thailand was worth $777,000 last year and the cherry trade was worth $2.5 million.

An exporter, who would not be named, questioned whether Thailand had been annoyed at its lack of progress in getting market access for its products to Australia.

"We haven't had a fruit fly in Thailand ever, so why would they stop the trade?" the exporter said.

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said Thailand was also reviewing protocols for New Zealand, South Africa and Chile.

He said an audit of Australian growing conditions - requested by the Thais - had been postponed at the request of Cherry Growers Australia and Summerfruit Australia.

"DAFF and embassy staff in Bangkok will monitor the situation and continue discussions with Thai officials over the coming weeks," the spokesman said.