Storm destroys millions in Riverland crops, with more bad weather on the way

Saturday’s ferocious storm caused even more damage to Riverland growers than the freak hailstorm last month. And more bad weather is coming.

Riverland growers are again counting the cost of huge storms after another ripped through the region, pummeling fruit, stripping vines and causing millions of dollars of damage.

Winegrape growers are among those worst affected and Riverland Wine general manager Jo Pippos said Saturday’s storm affected a much larger area for members than a freak hailstorm on October 28.

That storm also battered the Adelaide Hills, Adelaide’s northern suburbs and Barossa Valley.

Flooding and Hail at the Berri Golf club during the storm on November 6. Picture: Berri Golf Club

Storm damage to Barmera business Bassham Wines. Picture: Bassham Wines

“The damage is quite a lot more severe from all the reports I’ve had back,” Mrs Pippos said.

“Some growers have lost 80 to 90 per cent of their crop.”

The damage bill for winegrape growers was at least $12m on October 28, affecting 20 per cent of the growers around Loxton. Saturday’s storm is expected to be much more costly.

Mrs Pippos estimated that, this time around, about 700 growers across the whole region were affected, mostly around Berri, Barmera and Renmark. About 80-85 per cent of their crops were likely lost.

Storm damage to Barmera business Bassham Wines. Picture: Bassham Wines

“It’s extremely devastating and I feel for all the commodity producers in the Riverland that have been affected,” she said.

“I know that almond and pumpkin growers, stonefruit and citrus growers are all feeling the pinch at the moment with other things and this is adding insult to injury.”

Fruit fly outbreaks, skyrocketing freight prices and labour shortages amid the pandemic are all affecting growers’ fortunes.

Storm damage to Barmera business Bassham Wines on November 6. Picture: Bassham Wines

Ricca Terra owner Ashley Ratcliff estimated his business lost about 80 per cent of the fruit in its Barmera vineyard, which grows alternative varieties such as fiano and vermentino.

“We’ve got vineyards in Berri and other areas that weren’t affected and they’re more our commodity varieties,” Mr Ratcliff said.

“If I had one of those vineyards hit I’d be upset but not as devastated as I feel at the moment. “It’s set us back quite a bit with what we’re trying to do for our region.

Storm damage to Barmera business Bassham Wines. Picture: Bassham Wines

“The Riverland has been known as being cheap and cheerful and our winery is the only one in the Riverland to achieve a five-star Halliday rating and we’ve done it twice.”

Mr Ratcliff called upon consumers to support the region and “ease the pain” by buying local wine.

“It’s a kick in the guts but the way we can move forward is for people to keep enjoying our wine and the wine from other producers that have been hit,” he said.

While the storms had been “financially quite damaging” for his business, the vines would bounce back and produce a crop next year.

Fallen trees around the grounds of Renmark High school after the storm on November 6. Picture: Renmark High School

Jason Size, of Summerfruit SA, which represents stonefruit growers, knew of two growers who had collectively had about 80 hectares of their crops damaged.

Flooding and Hail at the Berri Golf club during the storm on November 6. Picture: Berri Golf club

However, he believed most growers were lucky to escape the devastation.

“When you drive to Renmark, it was like a warzone – there were (gum tree) limbs everywhere,” Mr Size said. “It was pretty ferocious.”

Based on current estimates, Mr Size said stonefruit growers would have suffered less than $500,000 damage.

Citrus SA chairman Mark Doecke was yet to hear of major damage to citrus crops from the weekend’s storm after a few growers suffered losses on October 28.

“Between them they would have lost half a million on their infrastructure and crop damage is yet to be determined,” Mr Doecke said.

A low-pressure system developing in Central Australia is also expected to bring more rain this week, the Bureau of Meteorology said, along with cooler temperatures across the whole state.

Senior forecaster Tom Boeck said showers and potentially thunderstorms were expected in the Riverland on Thursday and Friday.