Strawberry oversupply hurting AU growers
Unpredictably warm winter temperatures are ripening strawberries early and a surplus of plants in the ground across the state means there are more strawberries than the consumer can eat.
Queensland Strawberry Growers Association vice-president Adrian Schultz said if there wasn't an early spring cold snap, prices would stay low and the over-supply would continue.
He said the peak strawberry period was traditionally in September but it had come early this year and was likely to hold until the weather changed.
"It's a combination of a number of things, the warm weather brings the berries on faster but it also creates smaller fruit which is harder to sell. A high percentage of the crop we can't sell because the consumer wants the big fat strawberry," he said.
"It means we are throwing away a large percentage of the crop that has nothing wrong with it at all.
The Queensland Strawberry Growers Association is working with farmers to develop a healthy Queensland strawberry export market which would ease pressure on the domestic supply and return prices to a profitable margin.
Read more at qt.com.au
