Industry body Ausveg and the South Australian Produce Market have established the SA [South Australian] Growers Flood Appeal to aid growers affected by recent floods and wild weather in the state.

Already the appeal has received more than A$20,000 for growers, provided by Ausveg, Ausveg SA, South Australian Produce Market, Visy, Peats Soil and CRT Virginia, with the funds to be administered by charity Foodbank to fund seedlings and other startup costs.

“The recent weather in South Australia has had a tremendously damaging effect on horticulture growers, particularly in the state’s northern growing regions,” said Ausveg SA state manager Jordan Brooke-Barnett. “It is estimated that losses in Adelaide’s north could be upwards of A$50m as a result of the floods, which has had a devastating impact on the growers in that area.

“We wanted to set up the SA Grower Flood Appeal to give the growers affected by the recent weather throughout the state a fighting chance to get back on their feet.”