Latest news with #RachelMackenzie
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Why the price of blueberries could continue to rise in the coming months
Around 25 per cent of Australia's blueberry crop has been destroyed by recent floods, which could lead to price increases later this year. Blueberries have surged to almost $10 a punnet but Berries Australia CEO Rachel Mackenzie told ACM the price right now on the supermarket shelf was consistent for non-seasonal produce. Reduced availability of crops due to flood damage might lead to higher prices than last year in the coming peak season, which is between October and February, Ms Mackenzie said. Coffs Harbour produces more than 80 per cent of Australia's blueberries. Along with other areas in the Hunter and mid north coast, the region was devastated by the recent, record-breaking floods in May, wreaking havoc on the agriculture sector. Ms Mackenzie noted there was more blueberry supply on the horizon from Western Australia in the coming weeks, which may buffer against higher prices. READ MORE: Record-breaking floods are an insurance 'catastrophe' Oysters, cattle, bees, and horticulture are some of the industries affected by recent crises. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said while the exact figures were unknown, the damage bill would run in the "hundreds of millions of dollars". "It's going to be a long road ahead to recovery, and our farmers must not walk this alone," he said. NSW Farmers dairy committee chair Mal Holm said the devastation to dairy farmers, particularly in the Manning region, was substantial. "There are a lot of very stressed dairy farmers," he said. "They are not only worried about their future but also about the impact on their animals." Some farmers, he said, won't return to farming. Camden Haven oyster farm's Brandon Armstrong said the lingering impacts of Cyclone Alfred in February were still felt across the regional agriculture sector. "Oysters have been under a lot of stress since Cyclone Alfred two months ago," he said. "A lot of water coming through is low salinity in the estuary, and the latest flood is a whole lot of dirty water on top of that. "People shouldn't be concerned about pricing; other products can fill the gap. They should be more concerned about accessing stock from local estuaries." Around 25 per cent of Australia's blueberry crop has been destroyed by recent floods, which could lead to price increases later this year. Blueberries have surged to almost $10 a punnet but Berries Australia CEO Rachel Mackenzie told ACM the price right now on the supermarket shelf was consistent for non-seasonal produce. Reduced availability of crops due to flood damage might lead to higher prices than last year in the coming peak season, which is between October and February, Ms Mackenzie said. Coffs Harbour produces more than 80 per cent of Australia's blueberries. Along with other areas in the Hunter and mid north coast, the region was devastated by the recent, record-breaking floods in May, wreaking havoc on the agriculture sector. Ms Mackenzie noted there was more blueberry supply on the horizon from Western Australia in the coming weeks, which may buffer against higher prices. READ MORE: Record-breaking floods are an insurance 'catastrophe' Oysters, cattle, bees, and horticulture are some of the industries affected by recent crises. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said while the exact figures were unknown, the damage bill would run in the "hundreds of millions of dollars". "It's going to be a long road ahead to recovery, and our farmers must not walk this alone," he said. NSW Farmers dairy committee chair Mal Holm said the devastation to dairy farmers, particularly in the Manning region, was substantial. "There are a lot of very stressed dairy farmers," he said. "They are not only worried about their future but also about the impact on their animals." Some farmers, he said, won't return to farming. Camden Haven oyster farm's Brandon Armstrong said the lingering impacts of Cyclone Alfred in February were still felt across the regional agriculture sector. "Oysters have been under a lot of stress since Cyclone Alfred two months ago," he said. "A lot of water coming through is low salinity in the estuary, and the latest flood is a whole lot of dirty water on top of that. "People shouldn't be concerned about pricing; other products can fill the gap. They should be more concerned about accessing stock from local estuaries." Around 25 per cent of Australia's blueberry crop has been destroyed by recent floods, which could lead to price increases later this year. Blueberries have surged to almost $10 a punnet but Berries Australia CEO Rachel Mackenzie told ACM the price right now on the supermarket shelf was consistent for non-seasonal produce. Reduced availability of crops due to flood damage might lead to higher prices than last year in the coming peak season, which is between October and February, Ms Mackenzie said. Coffs Harbour produces more than 80 per cent of Australia's blueberries. Along with other areas in the Hunter and mid north coast, the region was devastated by the recent, record-breaking floods in May, wreaking havoc on the agriculture sector. Ms Mackenzie noted there was more blueberry supply on the horizon from Western Australia in the coming weeks, which may buffer against higher prices. READ MORE: Record-breaking floods are an insurance 'catastrophe' Oysters, cattle, bees, and horticulture are some of the industries affected by recent crises. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said while the exact figures were unknown, the damage bill would run in the "hundreds of millions of dollars". "It's going to be a long road ahead to recovery, and our farmers must not walk this alone," he said. NSW Farmers dairy committee chair Mal Holm said the devastation to dairy farmers, particularly in the Manning region, was substantial. "There are a lot of very stressed dairy farmers," he said. "They are not only worried about their future but also about the impact on their animals." Some farmers, he said, won't return to farming. Camden Haven oyster farm's Brandon Armstrong said the lingering impacts of Cyclone Alfred in February were still felt across the regional agriculture sector. "Oysters have been under a lot of stress since Cyclone Alfred two months ago," he said. "A lot of water coming through is low salinity in the estuary, and the latest flood is a whole lot of dirty water on top of that. "People shouldn't be concerned about pricing; other products can fill the gap. They should be more concerned about accessing stock from local estuaries." Around 25 per cent of Australia's blueberry crop has been destroyed by recent floods, which could lead to price increases later this year. Blueberries have surged to almost $10 a punnet but Berries Australia CEO Rachel Mackenzie told ACM the price right now on the supermarket shelf was consistent for non-seasonal produce. Reduced availability of crops due to flood damage might lead to higher prices than last year in the coming peak season, which is between October and February, Ms Mackenzie said. Coffs Harbour produces more than 80 per cent of Australia's blueberries. Along with other areas in the Hunter and mid north coast, the region was devastated by the recent, record-breaking floods in May, wreaking havoc on the agriculture sector. Ms Mackenzie noted there was more blueberry supply on the horizon from Western Australia in the coming weeks, which may buffer against higher prices. READ MORE: Record-breaking floods are an insurance 'catastrophe' Oysters, cattle, bees, and horticulture are some of the industries affected by recent crises. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said while the exact figures were unknown, the damage bill would run in the "hundreds of millions of dollars". "It's going to be a long road ahead to recovery, and our farmers must not walk this alone," he said. NSW Farmers dairy committee chair Mal Holm said the devastation to dairy farmers, particularly in the Manning region, was substantial. "There are a lot of very stressed dairy farmers," he said. "They are not only worried about their future but also about the impact on their animals." Some farmers, he said, won't return to farming. Camden Haven oyster farm's Brandon Armstrong said the lingering impacts of Cyclone Alfred in February were still felt across the regional agriculture sector. "Oysters have been under a lot of stress since Cyclone Alfred two months ago," he said. "A lot of water coming through is low salinity in the estuary, and the latest flood is a whole lot of dirty water on top of that. "People shouldn't be concerned about pricing; other products can fill the gap. They should be more concerned about accessing stock from local estuaries."
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Blueberry prices spike due to low seasonal supply and flood damage
Eye-watering blueberry prices could stay higher for longer this year due to seasonal shortages and crop damage caused by last month's torrential rain in northern New South Wales. The family favourite has been priced as high as $9.80 per 125-gram punnet in supermarkets in the past week, equating to $78.40 per kilogram. That compares to a low of less than $2.50 for a 125-gram punnet in most capital city retailers last October and a high of $19.99 a punnet at Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia in June 2024. Berries Australia executive director Rachel Mackenzie said consumers could expect prices to ease as winter production increased in the next couple of weeks. However, torrential rain in northern NSW last month could have longer-term impacts, as most of Australia's blueberries are grown in the Coffs Harbour region. "Some growers have been completely flooded; others have had infrastructure damage and another problem is pest and disease increases after a big rain event like that," Ms Mackenzie said. The Australian Horticulture Statistics handbook valued blueberry production at $505.1 million in Australia last financial year, with 27,540 tonnes produced. Blueberries are also grown in Queensland, Victoria, WA and South Australia to ensure year-round supply. "At the moment any Australian fruit you see will probably be coming mostly from Far North Queensland, on the Atherton Tableland," Ms Mackenzie said. Australia has traditionally imported 700–1,700 tonnes of fresh blueberries a year, mostly from New Zealand. Ms Mackenzie said that despite Australia's higher production costs, the industry was focused on growing exports, competing with countries like Peru. "We're hopeful that we'll be able to have access to Vietnam relatively soon," she said. "China is a bit more of a long game but we are the current negotiating priority so that certainly means that we're in the mix." Ms Mackenzie said a recent Chinese delegation visited Australian blueberry farms looking to fill a gap in their home-grown supply, aligning with peak production in Australia. "They actually do grow a lot of blueberries in China and interestingly, a lot of the genetics they grow are Australian genetics," she said. "Despite being quite a small production country for blueberries, we're actually a real powerhouse in terms of genetics. Wet weather and seasonal shortages have also impacted strawberry prices, with a 250-gram punnet retailing for $5.50 in some supermarkets. Queensland Strawberry Growers Association president Adrian Schultz said the state supplied most of Australia during winter and spring. Apart from some recent sunshine, farmers have battled months of rain since planting began in March, meaning lower volumes of fruit on the market. Mr Schultz said a move towards hydroponic production on tabletops, using more mature plants that fruit earlier in the season, was good news for consumers. He appealed for patience with prices until supply increased, explaining that growers had already outlaid hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past six months. "We try and recoup all of our production costs and then later in the season is where we hope to make a profit," Mr Schultz said. Figures from the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2023/24 show Australian growers produced 80,741 tonnes of strawberries worth $505.5 million. Mr Schultz said the industry was consolidating, with the association's membership about half what it was 20 years ago. "That's basically because small family farms have gone by the wayside and the larger corporate entities have continued to expand," he said. While the number of growers may be shrinking, he said production remained steady, and strawberries were popular with consumers. "They've got a lot of vitamins and folate, nearly as much vitamin C as a Valencia orange," Mr Schultz said. Australian strawberry breeding program head Jodi Neal said it took six to seven years from cross-pollination to commercial release to develop varieties suited to subtropical production in south-east Queensland and Bundaberg, temperate areas in the southern states and Stanthorpe and Perth's Mediterranean conditions. She said it took several more years for nurseries to multiply enough plants for farmers to adopt new releases, including the Stella variety. The strawberry named in honour of the late disability activist and comedian Stella Young is being grown commercially this year. "It's potentially a more profitable strawberry variety," Dr Neal said. "It has larger fruit which means that the cost of production is a lot lower for our farmers, so they can continue making a profit." Dr Neal said developing tasty, disease-resistant, productive varieties was satisfying. "Getting farmers talking to us and telling us how much that variety helped them this season — having consumers coming to us, saying, the fruit this winter is tasting fantastic, that's what drives me." New white and pink strawberry varieties will become commercially available to growers next year.
