Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Growers Suffer Brunt Of Deluge

The region’s farmers have suffered after unseasonably heavy rainfall last week destroyed some 30 per cent of their yields, potentially costing the local industry $50 million dollars.

The growing belt that runs from Bowen up through the Burdekin saw varying degrees of more than 200 millimetres of rainfall.

President of Bowen Gumlu Growers Association, Ry Collins said that amount of rain has two major repercussions:

“We’ve had little rivers open in farms; a lot of the topsoil has eroded away. Those little rivers and crevices, they’ll have to be releveled and do civil works to those properties,” Mr Collins said.

“More importantly, the crop not far off being harvested doesn’t take that much water well.”

With typical production season beginning planting in February, March, and April, the bulk of crop in Bowen was to start harvesting this week.

Of that crop, tomatoes, melons, and corn are the likeliest to have been affected by the downpour.

“It’s too early to say how much will be lost. They’re only getting out assessing it today. But I would say on average 30 per cent of their crop will be no good,” Mr Collins said.

The Whitsunday region annually produces around $450 million dollars in agricultural revenue.

Mr Collins said the region wasn’t alone in suffering: Queensland wide the unseasonable weather brought 200 millimetres to places like Bundaberg, which is a key fruit and vegetable region.

“Coming into this season with the floods, we knew there’d be a shortage of fruit and veg, meaning the prices will be higher. This only adds to that,” he said.

“Less product on the market means higher prices.”

Bowen Gumlu Growers Association have reached out to Agriculture Queensland to articulate the impacts.

A Department of Agriculture and Fisheries survey has been sent to local growers to build the picture for state government on what’s happened and what potential support can flow through.

Mr Collin’s said there’s little to be done other than to “get the shovel and tractor and get going.”

“At the end of the day, it is weather, and there’s not much we can do about it. The time of year it’s come, we don’t normally get that at our busy period,” Mr Collins said.

“There’s some financial pain attached to that, but the growers will get going again

Fields flooded heavily during this week’s downpour, which President Bowen Gumlu Growers Association Ry Collins said may be the worst since Cyclone Debbie (Pictured here)

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