Fruit growers in Australia’s key Goulburn Valley production hub are counting the costs of a hail storm that hit the region earlier this week.
Fruit Growers Victoria confirmed a small number of growers were already reporting major damages of up to 100 per cent of their crops. The industry body said pipfruit, stonefruit and cherry producers had all been impacted, with pear growers appearing to have been hardest hit by the storm damage.
The bulk of the hail damage was concentrated in a strip north of the Midland Highway in Ardmona, stretching across the northern edge of Shepparton towards Lemnos and parts of Shepparton East, according to a media release.
To help evaluate the extent of the damage, Fruit Growers Victoria will hold an industry meeting at the Horticulture Centre of Excellence in Tatura on Thursday (15 October).
