A leading Queensland citrus grower admits the weather has made things challenging this season, but demand has picked up throughout the season after a slow start.
After beginning in April, there are still several weeks left in the season for Benyenda Citrus, and Operations Manager Matthew Benham says the increased rainfall certainly added some challenges, including harvest delays and some early variety skin issues.
“It hasn’t been the best season we’ve had, and more than 60 per cent of that was because of the weather,” Mr Benham said. “Quality-wise, it has also been down a little bit, as we had a bit of wind early on which meant the fruit was a little scratchy, and our first-grade pack-outs are slightly down. This year’s biggest overall challenge has been the weather – I mean, all of our issues around quality have all had to do with the climate. Our mid-season varieties were…
