Difficult market and growing conditions have pushed Corboy Fresh Fruit, one of Australia’s most prominent growers, into receivership this week.
“Difficult climatic conditions and changing market dynamics” over the past decade were the cause, according to owner John Corboy.
Mr Corboy has been one of the most visible spokesmen for the recent World Trade Organisation case with New Zealand on apple imports to Australia, and is peak body Apple & Pear Australia Ltd’s (APAL) fireblight taskforce chairman.
Corboy Fresh Fruit was forced to buy water because of low rainfall, and went through two “one-in-a-hundred-year frosts”, reported Business Day. Fruit prices have also fallen 4.8 per cent over the three-month period to the end of June.
“I don’t think our position is unique, it’s been an extremely tough time,” Mr Corboy told the ABC.
“Our business alone has spent over A$3m in water in the past seven years. It’s a very difficult industry, it’s a good industry, it’s a solid industry, but it’s going through all these one-in-100-year events, which tend to test everybody’s ability.”
Corboy Fresh Fruit produces around 24,000 bins of apples, pears and stonefruit from its 300ha orchards in the Goulburn Valley in Victoria.
Mr Corboy said employees would be paid their entitlements and assets would be sold to pay creditors.
Receivers Ferrier Hodgson took control of the company on Friday, and agents have been appointed to market and sell Corboy Fresh Fruit’s properties.
