The heatwave gripping Australia’s central west New South Wales region is not having as bad an effect on this year’s cherry harvest as some feared.
The ABC reported on Friday that if the extreme heat continued it could have the potential to “cook the fruit on the trees” in the town of Young.
But Mark Coupland of Yarrawa Management, a leading packer-marketer who works with a number of growers in Young, refuted the report.
“The trees are holding up well, the fruit quality is still very good. We’re getting nice colour and sugar in the fruit,” he said.
Mr Coupland told Fruitnet.com that while he didn’t think Australia would produce a very big crop of cherries this year, the quality of the fruit being produced was excellent.
“Prices are holding up very well in the marketplace, because there’s not a lot of fruit around and buyers are prepared to pay for the better quality fruit,” he said.
