Monday was all about cherries. The growers have faced a challenging growing season with unseasonal high temperatures in October and November followed by rain in December, causing the early varieties to be late and the late varieties to be early. Which has meant a lot of fruit on the market at the same time. Sizes however have been exceptionally big and the fruit is firm and looks and tastes fantastic.
In addition to the abundance of Tasmanian fruit on the market, exporters are also facing massive volumes arriving in Asian markets, mainly China, from Chile who according to one grower in Tasmania are shipping 1,000 containers a week.
Growers here are innovative in the orchards, and are investing in plastic rain covers as well as hail nets, but these additions are also causing different micro-climates which growers are having to adapt to.
But the biggest problem seems to be getting enough pickers to get the fruit off the trees. Since the Australian Government changed the taxation system for back packers last year, the normal influx of backpackers has just not happened and growers seem to be scrabbling around to get enough labour to pick the crop.
Full reports will follow next week.