“Unusually warm early spring weather helped bring fruit on a little earlier than anticipated” by South Australian Produce Market and FreshPlaza
Penny Reidy – South Australian Produce Market:
“Unusually warm early spring weather helped bring fruit on a little earlier than anticipated”
The first South Australian-grown strawberries arrived at the South Australian Produce Market in the first week of October, marking the beginning of the local strawberry season. Penny Reidy, General Manager – Marketing and Communications at the market, said that they expect volumes to steadily increase as more growers commence picking over the coming weeks.
“The season has started slightly earlier than last year, by a few days,” said Penny. “We’ve experienced some unusually warm early spring weather, which has helped bring the fruit on a little earlier than anticipated.”
Weather during growing season
“We’ve had a fairly typical winter with good rainfall, followed by an early burst of warm spring weather. That warmth helped kickstart the season, although we’ve also experienced some rain during spring, which has made conditions a little variable. Overall, growers are reporting a positive start to the season.”
The majority of South Australian strawberries are grown outdoors in open fields, including the early-season fruit. There is some interest in protected cropping, including tunnel production.
“While protected cropping offers opportunities to manage weather conditions and potentially extend production, the cost of establishing these systems remains a significant consideration for growers.”
Sizing and quality
“The early reports from growers are very encouraging. We’re seeing beautiful fruit with excellent colour, firmness and sweetness. Albion is a popular variety grown in South Australia, known for producing attractive, firm berries with excellent eating quality. Growers do trial different varieties, but Albion continues to perform well in local growing conditions.
“Growers are reporting excellent Brix levels in the early fruit, which is a really positive indicator of sweetness and eating quality. It’s encouraging to see the season starting with such good-quality strawberries.”
According to Penny, they don’t have a verified current figure for the total area planted to strawberries in South Australia.
“We’re seeing a reduction in strawberry production in South Australia, with growers facing increasing pressure from rising input costs, particularly the cost and availability of labour. Strawberry production is extremely labour-intensive, particularly during harvesting, and these costs are having a significant impact on the viability of growing operations.”
This year saw the closure of Green Valley Strawberries in the Adelaide Hills, a long-established family business that had been growing strawberries for more than four decades.
“Some growers are exploring protected cropping and tunnel production as a way to improve production efficiency and manage growing conditions, but the significant investment required can be a barrier. Despite these challenges, we still have dedicated South Australian growers producing excellent-quality strawberries, and supporting locally grown produce remains incredibly important to the future of the industry.”
Weather determines length of season
The South Australian strawberry season generally begins in October and continues through to around April.
“Sometimes it can extend into May depending on growing conditions. Weather plays a significant role in determining how long production continues, with autumn rainfall often influencing when the season finishes.
Strong demand for new season berries
“There’s always a positive response when South Australian strawberries come into season. Consumers increasingly appreciate the quality, freshness and flavour of locally grown produce, and strawberries are certainly a seasonal favourite. It’s an exciting time for our wholesalers and retailers as the first local fruit starts arriving.”
For more information:
Penny Reidy
South Australian Produce Market
Tel: +61 8 8349 4493
Email: penny@saproducemarket.com.au
