Fruitful Harvest - "The Age" - 15 February 2012
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.
