An Australian exporter has predicted the value of the country's fruit and vegetable exports could be down by as much as 20 per cent in value this financial year.
David Minnis, of 888 Exports, told Fruitnet.com a poor table grape season coupled with exchange rate pressures could see as much A$100-120m (US$87-104m) wiped off the value of horticultural exports, although the final tally wouldn't be known until after 30 June.
"I export a lot of grapes, and the year before this we exported A$200m (US$174m) worth. This year I doubt it would be A$100m (US$87m)," he said.
Mr Minnis said the heat wave which struck southern Australia last November meant yields of table grapes were well down, and quality issues also hampered marketing of the fruit overseas.
"You'd see stalks with 10 or 12 berries on them, meaning the fruit was totally unmarketable. We had a lot of problems with berry size, and some colouring issues with fruit out of Robinvale which meant late fruit was struggling to find a market," he said.
"I had one grower who picked 65,000 cartons the year before last and this year he had less than half that.
"Some of those problems wouldn't have been problems if the (Australian) dollar was at US$0.65, but it was at US$0.92."
However, Mr Minnis believes the suspension of US grape imports because of concerns over the spotted-wing drosophila could mean Australian retailers look to bolster winter supplies with home-grown produce.
"I would think growers would still have fruit in cool rooms, and because there's no US fruit this year they (retailers) would still be buying local fruit."
