Best season in years for blueberries

A WET summer has meant the best season in almost 15 years one of Tasmania’s biggest blueberry growers.

BLUEBERRY FARMER

IT has been a wet summer, but for one of Tasmania’s biggest blueberry growers it has meant the best season in almost 15 years.

Greg McCulloch, from Nierinna Blueberries south of Hobart, expects to finish picking his fruit by the end of the month.

By that time he will have produced about 22 tonnes of blueberries from his 1ha orchard.

The 36 commercial blueberry growers in Tasmania produce about 200 tonnes a year, 2 per cent of the nation’s $130 million crop.

“It has been our biggest crop in 15 years,” Mr McCulloch said. “The wet summer suits us. We have had little use for irrigation.”

He said public reaction to the recent hepatitis A contamination in frozen berry products from China had put the focus back on local produce.

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Tae Smith, of Snug, picks blueberries on Greg McCulloch’s farm at Margate.

Nierinna Blueberries sells into the national wholesale market and at the farmgate.

“Major food processors use imported berries because profit margins are higher than using quality domestic produce,” Mr McCulloch said.

“However, the local blueberry industry has a positive future with proposed orchards in the pipeline because of irrigation schemes and the Chinese market potential.”

Weatherzone meteorologist Guy Dixon said the Hobart region had received above-average rainfall throughout the summer, with heavy falls in January.

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In total 221mm of rain was recorded from December to the end of February, compared with the summer average of 142.2mm.