Ceravolo Orchards investing $1.6 million to protect new cherry farm from bats and birds

Fourth generation family fruit grower Ceravolo Orchards is investing $1.6 million in a new cherry farm that will be protected from the elements — including rain, birds and bats.

Ceravolo Orchards is building a retractable roofing system for its cherry orchards.

Fourth generation family fruit grower Ceravolo Orchards is investing $1.6 million in a new cherry farm that will be protected from the elements - including rain, birds and bats.

As part of the project, a $1.2 million retractable roof will be installed over 2.8ha of plantings, or 6500 trees, at the family’s Myponga farm.

It will be fully automated, and linked with the weather bureau to anticipate and react to warnings and conditions.

A coated polyethylene fabric will protect trees from the elements, while the design’s fixed netting structure will repel birds and bats.

Ceravolo Orchards’ Tony Ceravolo said the system – acquired from Canadian manufacturer Cravo – would be the first of its kind to be installed in Australia.

Ceravolo Orchards' Tony Ceravolo

“When it rains the crops are protected and when the weather is fine the roof opens ... so the cherry trees are exposed to natural sunlight,” he said.

“If we have an extreme heat day we can shut the roof (to) drop ... the temperature.”

Ceravolo Orchards is one of SA’s largest cherry growers, producing about 300 tonnes each year. The retractable roof will be completed in August 2019.

Mr Ceravolo said it would prolong the cherry season, from seven to eight weeks to up to 12 weeks.

“If this works well I think it will be the future ... for us - we’ve got the ability to put 40 more of these there (Myponga),” he said.

Coles is providing a $500,000 interest-free loan for the project as part of its $50 million Nurture Fund.