The Victorian fruit growing season is coming to a close with the harvest running 10-14 days earlier than usual this year. Growers are looking forward to a break as there has been little opportunity to rest between varieties this harvest.

In late April , unfortunately, some growers in the Goulburn Valley around Tatura suffered a severe hail storm which wiped out up to 100% of some growers late season apple crops. Approximately 14,500 bins of apples were lost in a little over an hour. Fruit Growers Victoria has estimated that up to $5 million dollars worth of Pink Lady and Sundowner apples were lost.

The timing of the hail event couldn’t be worse with growers ready to harvest their highest value crop.

Otherwise Victoria has had good crops, with good size and colour this season, however bin price returns are below cost of production for growers. Early season pear prices have been better than last season’s however constant retailer discounting is taking its toll on grower returns.

The current low prices on good quality WBC, Packham and Corella pears are not sustainable and many growers are consideration whether they have any future prospects.  Prices for apples have also been poor all season.

Many growers’ minds are now turning to next season’s crop. They are aware that the last two “wet” seasons have resulted in an increase: in the prevalence of apple and pear scab, alternaria,  mealy bug, San Jose scale and harlequin bug.  Fruit growers Victoria is investigating how widespread these problems ar. If growers have any samples of fruit damage of any sort please, they are urged to contact FGVL agronomist Virginie Grégoire at ido@fgv.com.au .

Gippsland Fruitgrowers recently held an end of season review where Jesse Reader from APAL presented Cassia Ferguson’s import and export market report to growers. Shane Costa from EE Muir presented an overview of the growing season in Southern Victoria.

Fruit Growers Victoria have been busy arranging works contracts for the On Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program. Twenty-nine grant applications were successful with participating growers receiving over $5 million dollars funding for on farm irrigation upgrades.

The final round of grant applications are now open and must be submitted to the Australian Government in July.  Any irrigator in the Murray Darling basin can apply through FGVL. So any  grower who wants to apply or who wants information should  contact FGVL on 58253700 as soon as possible.

JOHN WILSON

ABC [Rural] - May 16, 2012
Prices paid to southern NSW apple growers for their juice fruit have plummeted in recent months. Orchards in the Riverina Highlands were hit by a number of hailstorms this season, which led to an oversupply of fruit for the juice market.

 
Weekly Times Now - May 17, 2012
THE apple industry at Harcourt is far from dead, despite the declining number of growers. Once home to 120 growers producing a wide range of fruit varieties, the area that became famous for the quality of its apples now has less than 20 growers.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/04/weekend_freeze_virtu...

Some of the region's fruit growers can breathe a little easier when it comes to irrigation after a business case for a new water pipe system was approved.

Coliban Water's 215 farmers in the fruit growing region of Harcourt can look forward to the replacement of the open channel system with a network of pipes.

Project Manager Phil Fasham said modernising the Harcourt supply system had been under consideration for years.

“The existing open channel system is aged and leaky and our plan is to replace it with a more efficient and reliable pressurised pipe supply for customers,” Mr Fasham said.

Four years ago Coliban Water formed a Water Services Committee of nine local Harcourt landowners to assist with the project.

“It’s been a long journey but we needed something that stacks up on all levels including customer needs,” he said.

The project includes replacing 65 kilometres of existing concrete and earth from the system with approximately 67 kilometres of pipeline.

They will also build two pump stations and a storage tank.

“This is an important project for customers of the Harcourt region, particularly the major fruit growers and other businesses in the area," he said.

But before any more work can happen the company needs to speak with farmers about their involvement in the new scheme.

“We need to engage every single customer in this project to get the best possible final pipeline network design and the right outcome for each customer,” Mr Fasham said.

Coliban Water is preparing information packs to send to growers and planning a series of information sessions to help with decisions they need to make.

“When everything is ready we’ll be sending information direct to customers,” Mr Fasham said

Prime7v2 March 22, 2012, 9:39 am

Smitten apples from a trial crop at the Tahune Fields Nursery in Lucaston (Tony Briscoe)

A new variety of apple developed and grown successfully in new Zealand has been released to Tasmanian growers.

A trial crop of the variety called Smitten has been growing at the Tahune Fields Nursery at Lucaston and apple growers from Victoria , New South Wales and Tasmania attended a field day yesterday to see the launch of the new apple.

Garry Langford from Preval, which has developed the new breed, says the apple is an early harvest variety and unlike some other early harvest apples is firm and crisp to taste.

He says more than 100 thousand trees are growing in New Zealand and believes apple growers in Tasmania will support the new variety.

By Tony Briscoe

Thursday, 22 March  2012 

www.abc.com.au

Apple growers are expecting slow demand this year - the slowest for a decade - and many are receiving prices that fall below the cost of production.

Deputy chair of the Victorian Fruit Growers Association, Brad Fankhauser, says a 5 per cent oversupply of apples isn't helping.

He believes the low demand is a reflection of the wider national economy as prices have been low since last winter.

"Wholesale, we're getting up around $2 per kilo, if we're lucky we get $2.50 per kilo wholesale price. Return to grower certainly doesn't come anywhere near that, naturally," he said.

"They're much lower than what they were this time last year.

"I think this time last year they were getting up to $3 or $4 per kilo."

Source: www.abc.net.au

Publication date: 3/22/2012