Aus table grape growers turning to blueberries as alternative
"Table grapes have been, over the past few years, a bit of a basket case with oversupply and a lot of fruit coming down from up north," St George farmer Richard Lomman said.
"All those areas between Emerald and Mildura are at risk if they continue to have high yields and the supermarkets seem to enjoy buying from what we call 'supermarket farms' — It is just an average, minimum-spec product.
"The export market is really cranking up for the Mildura growers but unfortunately the varieties that are most popular over there aren't really suitable for the hotter climates," Mr Lomman said.
Blueberries are grown in southern states in Australia and increasingly in south east Queensland, with fresh fruit available between July and April. But new varieties and growing techniques have opened up opportunities in alternative growing regions, including south west Queensland.
Mr Lomman has recently moved into blueberry growing is optimistic about the move to but said it will not be easy and will come with its own challenges. But he believes that diversifying his crops will ultimately make the work worthwhile.
source: abc.net.au
