The hailstorm that hit apple, pear and stonefruit orchards in Australia’s Goulburn Valley on 11 October will become a focus in a new campaign being etched out by Apple and Pear Australia (Apal).
While it's still too early to assess the total damage, Apal is in talks with growers to ensure that any damaged fruit as a result of the hailstorm can still find a home and is looking to market damaged pears as ‘Hailstorm Heroes’.
Fruit Growers Victoria (FGV) has estimated that 65 per cent of pears and 47 per cent of apples have been damaged in the area, based on information supplied by eight affected growers.
On those estimates, the worst-case scenario could see around a drop of 16,000 tonnes, or a loss of 15 per cent of Australia’s pear production, with the Goulburn Valley supplying around 90 per cent of Australia’s total pear crop.
While fruit has been lost, Apal market development manager Olivia Tate said the Hailstorm Heroes campaign would be part of a broader strategy to get class 2 fruit selling at class 1 prices, with Apal hoping to get retailers on board as well.
“The key message to growers is: don’t write off your entire crop and salvage that second class fruit. We want to work to get these pears selling at a reasonable price point so growers can keep on growing,” Tate told Fruitnet. “It’s still in the early stages, but we have been met with positive feedback after the growers' meeting [on 15 October] and this is a way we can salvage the crop, working with consumers and retailers.'
Tate said Apal is working with a marketing agency to put together material for the humour-filled campaign that could include characters such as the ‘battler’ pear that was wounded, but survived, the hailstorm.
FGV held a meeting with Goulburn Valley growers on 15 October, with around 40 attendees offered information on post-hailstorm management of crops, including financial planning for the rest of the season.
Peter Bursac of FGV told Fruitnet that another assessment would be undertaken in a few weeks time in order to put together a more comprehensive report on the damage.
“The actual damage is the great unknown, but there will be fruit on the market,” Tate said.
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