AU: Wet weather not berry good
Cyril Erbacher, of Erbacher's Fruit and Vegetables at Bli Bli, was crossing his fingers for dry weather, noting that rain had already affected strawberry availability, but that it would be worse if the heavy downpours continued.
Chevallum farmer Rick Twist, who runs one of the largest strawberry properties on the Sunshine Coast, threw out three tonnes of spoiled fruit last week due to the rain.
He said the wet weather was "the worst enemy" of the strawberry farmer.
Mr Twist explained that strawberries required a delicate balance of nutrients in the soil, and the heavy rain at a key time in the season played havoc with that balance.
Ongoing wet weather could promote mould on the fruit, he said.
"Everyone wants a perfect strawberry to eat, but it's harder to produce that perfect strawberry," Mr Twist said.
"The strawberry industry is desperate for a dry winter."
Mr Erbacher said the impact on strawberries could be felt for around two weeks after any unseasonal downpour, but the effects were increased exponentially the longer the rains fell.
He assured that the recent wet would not pose longer-term impacts on fruit quality, unless it continued.
Strawberry season stretches from May to November.
The ability of freakish weather conditions to impact heavily on fruit crops is demonstrated by the experiences of local avocado growers, who expected a yield reduction of around 40% this year due to the flooding wet of 2011.
Source: www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au