A major Queensland strawberry producer says the lower quality of plants that have been put in the ground this season may be a blessing in disguise.
Piñata Farms Managing Director, Gavin Scurr says the quality has been lower than previous years.
"The runners that we have been provided this year, are less than ideal," he said. "They come from Victoria and Stanthorpe, and both of those locations have had really tough summers - hot and dry. So the plants that we have planted are not the best plants we have ever planted, in fact they would be close to the worst. However, all the plants that growers wanted to plant are planted. There has been talk that plants would be short that hasn't eventuated, it's the quality of the plants that are less than ideal and the expected yield of the plants is less than they would have been."
Photo: Piñata Farms' strawberry production - Source: Facebook
But while it sounds grim, from an industry perspective, he said it could turn out to be a positive, as the market has not been able to cope with the high volumes in previous seasons.
"The last couple of winters have been very tough pricing wise," Mr Scurr said. "There has been an oversupply of the fruit, so having less production is a good thing from my point of view, and will align supply more with demand. Hopefully it will stop those prices that are below the cost of production in August-September. If we get a normal winter, I still think that we are still going to get a reduction in volume, but I see that as a positive. Growers haven't reduced planting, so hopefully the quality of plants will knock the edge of the volume, and put a margin in for growers who haven't made a profit for at least three years."
But one area where Mr Scurr is hoping for an increase in volume is in the company's raspberry production of an exclusive variety to Australia.
"They are getting rave reviews from consumers," he said. "We don't have a lot of volumes as yet, but when consumers are lucky enough to find them in store, they are bombarding our social media with rave reviews. They are head and shoulders above any other variety in Australia, and we are looking to ramp up production soon. Volumes are lower than other players, but we are on our way."
Photo: Piñata Farms' raspberry trees - Source: Facebook
He adds that supply is up to 12 months of the year, and that it is the flavour that makes it a standout product.
"They are a bit of a bigger berry than the average, they are not the biggest, but they are at the bigger end of the scale," Mr Scurr said. "They have excellent shelf life, but when people buy them, they just cannot believe the amazing flavour, and often say they are the best berries they have tasted."
For more information
Gavin Scurr
Piñata Farms
Phone: +61 7 5497 4295
info@pinata.com.au
www.pinata.com.au