Growers in Gayndah, near Bundaberg in Queensland's Burnett region, are happy with the exceptional quality of their fruit, particularly of the imperial mandarins. Grower Dennis Smith said it was wonderful to be able to provide consumers with tasty fruit after a well below average 2022 season, despite a slow start.
Crops have hit peak quality two to three weeks later than expected, and he said the industry disagreed with retailers about when produce should be shipped to supermarkets. He said many growers would prefer to send higher quality fruit later in the season, rather than on time at a lower quality, and it was an ongoing issue.
More and more backpackers are coming around again as well, which hasn’t been a thing since before COVID; they are filling up hostels in the horticultural region after three years of border closures. In short, the supply of laborers has vastly improved.
Source: abc.net.au