After a start to the season that wasn't promising, with the weather looking ugly early, it's turned out to be a fantastic summer for Tasmanian cherries.
Peter Woodhouse, from Kings Rock Cherries, a three-generation small family orchard in the Derwent Valley, says that the season has been extended a little, but that's just made it like it used to be.
© Kings Rock
"This is a summer that we would have had about six years ago. Every summer used to be a bit like this, but we've had variable weather in recent years," says Woodhouse.
That has meant that there hasn't been as much fruit as there was in previous years, but he's pleased with the return after a challenging season.
"Our production is down; we'll pick nowhere near as much fruit as we did last year, but our fruit quality has been absolutely amazing, and I would say that without a shadow of a doubt. The Tasmanian season this year will be an absolute standout for fruit quality," says Peter.
The cool weather has meant that there's been no need to force the harvest, and he says that that has allowed the fruit to come up to a high standard.
"We can let the trees develop the fruit and flavour exactly how we want, and if the weather isn't forcing our hand, that's really good," says Woodhouse. "We try to keep things pretty simple. Our motto for growing is sunshine, love, and clean water."
© Kings Rock
That quality has a ready market in Asia, with Peter expecting to sell most of his top-grade cherries in Vietnam, with some going into China and Thailand.
"Honestly, it's a beautiful thing to see how much consumers adore the fruit. You do twelve months of work, and to see people's faces light up when they really enjoy it makes it worthwhile," says Woodhouse.
The season is running a bit past Australia Day, which is a rarity, but that's a good thing given the market Kings Rock is aiming at. Chinese New Year is still a few weeks off, and that's a great period for cherry sales.
"Our harvest should be hitting Asian countries around the Lunar New Year. We normally miss it, we're usually a bit too late, but this year our timing is perfect."
Woodhouse had expected that he'd be selling more to the Aussie consumer after the season's slow start.
© Kings Rock
"As it turns out, I've probably got a little more than I thought. You'll see one tree with barely any fruit on it, and then the next tree will surprise you," says Peter.
Not that selling domestically is a bad thing. He'd like to expand the domestic market. "So I thought I was going to sell a fair bit more domestically, which for Australia is a great thing. The whole idea is to grow the consumer experience," he says.
At the moment, he reckons consumers typically buy cherries once each season, and he'd like to see that up to four at least. That's what Kings Rock sees at the farm gate. At local farm gate markets, you often see someone buy a kilo for the week, start and consume them as they peruse other stalls, and call in two hours later, having consumed the lot. He's not complaining, though. "Growing something that people love makes the hard work worthwhile and rewarding in so many ways."
"Early on, it looked like the weather wouldn't be kind, but it's turned out really well. I hope every grower is in that position," says Woodhouse.
For more information:
Peter Woodhouse
Kings Rock Cherries
Tel: +61 408 213 386
[email protected]
https://www.kingsrockcherries.com/
