SPC: Growers react to cannery slashing supply orders

Fruit growers are considering pulling out their trees in the wake of SPC’s decision to scale back peach and pear orders.

Stunned, shocked, surprised.

That’s how a swath of fruit growers across Victoria are feeling in the wake of a decision by Shepparton-based company SPC’s decision to dramatically reduce orders of pears and peaches for the upcoming season.

Cobram and District Fruit Growers Association vice president Matthew Cornish said the decision to cut orders by 40 per cent would result in some growers – including himself – considering removing trees.

“It was a little bit of a shock, obviously,” Mr Cornish said.

“We didn’t expect it to be this bad. But with everything going on with cost of living, it was probably something that was coming.”

He said cheap imported fruit “hasn’t helped” when trying to encourage shoppers to support Australian producers.

“You’re trying to get people to buy Australian-grown, but it’s more expensive on the shelves,” Mr Cornish said.

Cobram and District Fruit Growers Association vice president Matthew Cornish said the decision by SPC would result in some growers – including himself – considering removing trees. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Max Wright is a stone fruit grower based at Invergordon in Victoria, and supplies pears, peaches and apricots to SPC.

He said SPC were in the position where the company would need to decide whether to affect all producers by reducing total supply by almost 40 per cent, or whether to drop off some growers entirely.

“They’ll have to assess grower by grower,” Mr Wright said.

“I don’t think anyone will be left unaffected”.

SPC Growers L-R: Matthew Cornish in his orchard with Brodie Jaques and Dom Grasso. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Mr Wright grows about 300 tonnes of pears, 800 tonnes of peaches, and 100 tonnes of apricots annually, and said the reduction would affect his business.

“You can’t push out 40 per cent and be viable,” Mr Wright said.