AU: Low bell pepper supply due to extreme weather conditions
"We have seen an increase of internal rot and brown seeds as a consequence of these environmental issues," explains Steve Tsakoumakis from Kapiris Bros.
"It has been a wet winter along with large temperature variations between day and night. The overnight temperatures have been very cold placing the plants under stress - overall it has been a very difficult growing season."
As result of these circumstances demand has been strong, prices are well above the previous few years.
Kapiris Bros. do not export capsicums currently, instead they focus on supplying the domestic Australian markets with premium produce.
"The plants we grow in the broad acre fields are the same variety as in previous years, but we experiment with new varieties seasonally through our R&D programme, to evaluate if various varieties can provide improved quality, yield and disease resistance, to maximise the plant potential on the farms. The varieties we have been growing over the last few seasons are the best available to balance quality, yield and disease resistance," said Steve.
For more information:
Steve Tsakoumakis
Kapiris Bros
Phone +61 3 8401 1000
Email: steve.tsakoumakis@kapirisbros.com.au