Hailstorms wipe out orange crops in Griffith, cause long-term tree damage

Hailstones as large as 6cm have caused massive damage among Griffith citrus growers.

Hailstones as big as 6cm have ripped through Griffith orange orchards in the past two weeks,

Citrus growers at Griffith have suffered up to 100 per cent wipe-outs of their orchards when two huge storms ripped through the area during the past two weeks causing millions of dollars in damage.

The first storm hit the Riverina town on January 6, with hailstones 6cm in diameter shredding trees.

A second storm last Friday was just as damaging, finishing off what survived the first hailstorm.

Jo Barnard said her family’s three farms at Lake Wyangan, just north of Griffith, suffered 80 per cent losses when the first storm hit their 40 hectares of Valencia and Navel orange trees, then saw the remaining 20 per cent of crop wiped out last Friday.

Ms Barnard, who farmed with parents Sue and Mario Brighenti, brother Bart Brighenti and husband Philip Barnard, said the crop losses and severe damage on their farms would take them years to recover.

“We have lost this year’s crop and next year’s crop,” she said.

“Our trees have damaged bark and limbs.

“It’s a massive loss for us.

“My father, who’s 74, has never seen anything like this in this area.

“We are still in shock.”

Ms Barnard said they were fortunate another farm they owned 20km further north was undamaged.

She said their neighbours at Lake Wyangan had their crops wiped out in the first storm.

The storm lasted about 15 minutes but pelted down hailstones 6cm in diameter.

“They were half a centimetre to a centimetre thick discs, with jagged edges,” she said.

“In the second event, they were more like jagged balls.”

Ms Barnard said some fruit was lying on the ground but others still in the trees were beginning to rot due to rain between the two storms.

“It looks like we can’t even pick them for juice because they are not going to last,” she said.

Ms Barnard said growers would be seeking government help to carry them through the coming years.

She said they had not only lost this year’s and next year’s crops but had to carry the cost of trying to get their trees back in production over the coming years.