The strawberry season has just wrapped up for boutique Bundaberg grower Tina Berries, and the quality was exceptional, according to owner Tina McPherson. “We grow winter strawberries, obviously, being in Bundaberg and supply the top of the market,” she says. “We had a very dry winter, exactly what you want for strawberries and fruit quality was very good with few pest and disease issues.”
It’s normal for Tina Berries to produce 400-500g plates of strawberries with only 9 or so berries on them during the peak of the season, Ms McPherson says. The last two weeks the size of the fruit has come down slightly because the conditions are becoming too hot and dry as spring starts, but market prices have remained above the standard rate for the gourmet quality berries produced for Sydney and Melbourne markets, including Harris Farm in Sydney.
The season for many Queensland growers went well, according to reports, however, and prices on the market remained solid. “I don’t think, from my perspective, that the standard price went to the lows it has done in previous seasons. If it did it didn’t affect us in any significant way,” says Ms McPherson.
The cold, dry conditions, including snow at times in Stanthorpe, where there are also berry farms in July helped growers in Queensland produce some excellent crops. Growers such as Strawberry Fields, and Pinata Farms have also relocated to the cooler climate of Queensland’s Granite Belt to take advantage of better growing conditions, and production in the region has been increasing for the past couple of seasons.
To read our earlier article on strawberry farmers relocating click here.
For more information
Tina McPherson
Tina Berries
Phone: +617 4159 3001
E-mail: info@tinaberries.com.au
Website: www.tinaberries.com.au