Cold heating up market Bowen growers reaping benefits of chilly weather with better returns
THE forecast cold weather is a “blessing in disguise” for fruit and vegetable growers in the Bowen region.
Cool weather has meant produce has been ripening slower but Bowen Gumlu Growers Association president Carl Walker says that’s a good thing.
“What’s happened is we’ve had really cold weather in the southern markets, and ... when you get cold weather in the cit- ies, people slow down buying,” he said.
“So if we get really warm weather up here and they’re getting cold down there, then you get an oversupply which drives the market down.”
Mr Walker said as frustrating as it was for producers who were unable to meet all their orders, it was working out well. “If we didn’t have this cold snap we’d see the market crash quite badly and we wouldn’t be picking because it wouldn’t be worth it,” he said.
“Without it ( cold weather) I think we would be seeing a lot of low cost returns. Eventually it’s going to catch up and we’re all going to be bloody flat out their but hopefully by then the southern areas have gone past the worst of their cold.”
There’s a huge range of produce grown in the Bowen region.
Mr Walker grows cherry tomatoes, capsicums and cucumbers.
Bowen is renowned for its tomatoes, corn and beans as well as pumpkins.
Near Gumlu capsicums, eggplant, rockmelons and honeydew melons are the focus.
Mr Walker said he expected producers would be really busy by July as the weather warmed up.
The unexpected blessing from the weather is important for growers after Cyclone Debbie and poor prices ruined last season.
“Everyone is hurting, I think if we had a disastrous year like we did last year, I think we would lose some more growers,” Mr Walker said. “There were millions and millions of dollars lost in the region last year.”
Mr Walker said with the cyclone and poor prices in 2017, it was like having three bad years in a row.
“We really need a year where we’re getting good returns to help catch up some of our losses and really make the town a bit more buoyant,” he said.
“They do rely on us as the largest economic driver in the region, so if we’re doing it tough the town is doing it tough.”