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Although the damage was still being evaluated, some producers estimate losses between 30% and 60% and more rain is forecast.
Growers in Earnscleugh, near Clyde, took a brief respite from the rain yesterday morning to assess the damage to what were bumper crops in a season plagued by concerns about labor shortages.
The area was one of the hardest hit by the rains that began on New Year’s Day and did not cease until 8:30 a.m. yesterday, causing the Fraser River to break through along with localized runoff from the hills.
This led to the closure of Earnscleugh Rd and Strode Rds late Saturday and fruit trees in the area were inundated with up to a meter of flood water.
Panmure Orchards owner Jeremy Hiscock said the forecast for cherries was not good.
“It is difficult to grow cherries.
“The rain is devastating for the entire region.”
It had measured 88mm of rain over the 36 hour period and that was unusual.
“Usually we have a lot of heavy rain for a short period or a long period of light rain. This time we had both: a lot of rain for a long period.”
Hiscock’s wife, Bridget, said the water had run through her property, flooding sheds and forcing workers to move to higher ground.
“We had them camping on the road and on our concrete pad.”
Cherries were hit the hardest, but she feared for other trees, like nectarines that were still in the water, yesterday.
Damage was still being assessed. Some varieties of cherries did better than others.
“There are some varieties that are not tolerant of rain.”
Some varieties were a “total loss,” Hiscock said.
The problem was that the fruit absorbed more water than it could bear, causing it to swell and crack.
“They look like hot cross buns.”
It would probably be Wednesday before he could bring in pickers and assess the damage, which could mean abandoning entire blocks of cherries that were no longer viable for picking.
“It is fair to say that there is significant damage throughout the region.”
The irony was that after the labor shortage had been largely addressed, some growers could be forced to lay off staff depending on crop losses, he said.
“It is not only the producers but the community that depends on that industry.”
Wednesday was also set as the starting point for other Central Otago growers, with most saying they had not yet assessed the damage.
Near Cromwell, Suncrest Orchard owner Michael Jones was taking that approach.
“It’s not going to be good.”
Sunfruit Syndicate Limited Partnership shareholder Tim Paulin estimated 30% to 60% damage to his cherry crops between Cromwell and Clyde.
“I’ve never seen rain like this.”
Teviot Orchard Company owner Gary Bennetts said he measured 90mm of rain over four days in his orchard near Roxburgh.
“There will be a little damage.
“I’ll go see them tomorrow [today]. “
Central Otago produces around 90% of New Zealand’s cherry exports, which were worth $ 84.1 million in 2017-18 and $ 66.2 million in 2018-19.
Former Orchardist and Central Otago Labor Market Governance Group Chairman Stephen Jeffery said that based on those figures, even a 10% reduction in this season’s harvest would save Central Otago’s cherry industry millions of dollars.
“But people are still accounting for losses. It’s pretty hard to tell, and there will be more time to come.”
