Fruit and veg to cost more as crops decimated

Record-breaking floods have destroyed tens of millions of crops including blueberries, macadamias, avocados, bananas and oranges.

Bananas are just one of the crops damaged by the recent floods on the NSW Mid North Coast. Picture: Supplied.

Farmers are warning that fruit and vegetable prices will rise in coming weeks and months in the aftermath of record-breaking floods in NSW that have destroyed tens of millions of crops and damaged property.

Blueberries, macadamias, avocados, bananas and oranges are just a few of the crops affected, with some farmers fearful they will lose all of their crop amid devastating damage.

Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid-north coast grows 75 per cent of the nation’s blueberries and Farmers NSW branch president Paul Shoker has warned that the crop is at risk of not setting fruit.

“Blueberries, blackberries and raspberry growers are flowering now.

“The wet and cooler weather means the bees aren’t pollinating, which will lead to a poor crop set.

“We have reached 1600mm of rain already this year — this is the third flood event we’ve had, and it’s only April.

“The sector is already struggling with labour shortages, and weather in key growing regions.

“Consumers will have to pay more for their produce in the coming weeks and months.”

Mr Shoker said avocados in the region would be hit hard, with fruit impacted by water-logged trees.

He has 100 trees on his property alone, he said, with all their roots submerged underwater.

The flood’s timing could not be worse for macadamia growers, who are in the middle of harvesting the nuts off trees.

The price of bananas is also likely to rise, with Queensland’s far north coast crop smashed ­earlier in the year by Cyclone Niran.

In the Hawkesbury region, farmers were worried about citrus, apples and fig crops.

For some, it was too early to ­assess the full extent of the damage, but many were bracing for the worst.

Richmond farmers Darryl and Lyn Schofield predicted they would lose their entire crop of ­oranges, mandarins and lemons as a result of the rain.

“We are really close to the river, which makes the fruit very vulnerable,” Mr Schofield said.

“If there’s too much rain, and if it doesn’t stop soon, the fruit will just go rotten on the trees.”

NSW Farmers Federation chief executive Pete Arkle said the rain would impact farmers across the state, with the rain wreaking havoc on livestock, fencing and machinery.

Dairy farmers were also badly affected, with some left to frantically shift their livestock to higher ground for fear that they would wash away.