Recent flooding across the north may affect the look of some banana stocks reaching supermarket shelves, however shoppers are being assured, the fruit inside still has the same great taste.
Australian Banana Growers’ Council Chair Stephen Lowe said continuing wet weather in the coastal growing areas may mean that minor superficial external damage to fruit could occur.
"There might be minor cosmetic damage due to the prolonged wet weather. The bananas might have some marks on the skin,” Mr Lowe said. "They may not be as bright yellow as normal. But, ultimately the product still should taste the same inside."
He said a shortage of supply may also result in a slight rise in prices, however this was also expected to be short-lived.
"The prolonged wet weather has not allowed the fruit to mature at its normal rate. It’s been hanging there waiting for the sun to come out," he said. "I guess it’s put a hiccup in the system. But it’s come off a period where supply was low before this event anyway. The really hot weather we experienced in November/December affected bunch emergence. There was not a lot of fruit out there to start with and I think everyone was expected a fairly light February even before the flooding."
Photo source: Growcom
Meanwhile, horticulture peak representative body Growcom has welcomed the activation of special disaster assistance recovery grants for primary producers affected by flooding in Queensland’s north.
In addition, Growcom also welcomes the increase in disaster assistance from $25,000 to $75,000. Growcom CEO, David Thomson said Mother Nature has once again bared her teeth with yet another major natural disaster affecting horticultural growing regions in Queensland’s north.
“While the full extent of damage will not be quantified for some time, we’ve had reports of significant crop and property damage in areas such as Rollingstone, Home Hill, Giru, Inkerman and Bowen,” Mr Thomson said. “Our members are also reporting issues with soil erosion, loss of top soil and planting may be delayed in some areas.”
Mr Thomson said the State and Federal Governments should be commended for acting swiftly to activate natural disaster assistance.
“A further urgent priority is for governments to mobilise funds to support Industry Recovery and Resilience Officers (IRROs) in affected regions,” Mr Thomson said. "Following previous disaster events, IRROs have proven to be invaluable helping with strategic, long-term farm recovery that ensures farm businesses recover faster, stronger and are better prepared for future events.”
Those calls were backed by the Queensland Farmers' Federation, which renewed calls for a ‘shovel ready’ agriculture recovery program to provide immediate on farm assistance to those affected immediately after a natural disaster to provide the support and technical advice needed to improve the recovery process.
“We are grateful for the $75,000 on offer to help the recovery process, but the damage caused by this event will require more than just money, and the on farm problems farmers face differ across industries," QFF President Stuart Armitage said Armitage said. “If the government acted quickly, they could utilise the Industry Recovery and Resilience Officers already in place from Cyclone Debbie recovery before this funding stops and the capacity is lost. These officers are proven to help with strategic, long-term farm recovery that ensures farmers recover faster, stronger and are better prepared for future events.”
Growcom will continue to work with affected growers this week to develop preliminary impact assessments in order to brief the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
“This information is essential for us to advocate for assistance where it is needed and we urge growers affected to please fill in the online form via the Growcom website,” Mr Thomson said. “We also recommend growers take photographs of all major infrastructure, equipment and crops for insurance purposes and to help with the application process for disaster assistance. We understand the recovery process can be a long one and our thoughts are with everyone impacted.”
For more information
Australian Banana Growers Council
Phone: +61 7 3278 4786
info@abgc.org.au
www.abgc.org.au
Growcom
Phone: +61 7 3620 3844
growcom@growcom.com.au
www.growcom.com.au