Tropical fruit farmers face an uncertain future
NEW coronavirus precautions will ensure seasonal workers will not spread COVID-19 to tropical farms from interstate – but what if there is no market left to supply?
The Department of Agriculture yesterday announced mandatory quarantine for thousands of workers – up to 10,000 – that are expected to enter the state during harvest season on farms from Mareeba and the Far North to southern Queensland.
But Mareeba lychee and mango farmer Marcello Avolio said seasonal workers were the least of his worries.
“My concern is the economy,” Mr Avolio said.
“Do people have enough money to buy fruit at a certain price for me to survive?”
The second generation farmer, considered small to medium by industry standards, is concerned that by the time his crops are ready to harvest in November, customers won’t have money for “luxury” fruit like mango and lychee.
He said crop size would in part determine how farmers would navigate a soft economy.
“If everyone has a small crop we might make some money,” Mr Avolio said.
“I am a tree crop grower – it is already in the ground and is dependant on supply and demand.
“If people don’t buy, there is an oversupply and prices go down.”
He said that “by pure luck” he had managed to export mangoes to China before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If it was 10 days earlier they would have closed the borders,” Mr Avolio said.
FNQ Growers president Joe Moro said the sector faced an uncertain future.
“Some crops are doing ok; some have totally collapsed,” Mr Moro said. “The avocado industry has taken a knock because restaurants have shut – there are a lot of issues.”