South Australians may notice supermarket shelves looking a little emptier this winter, with fewer locally grown mandarins and oranges making it to market.
The peak citrus season has been battered by months of extreme weather from scorching summer heatwaves to unusually wet and cold winter days leaving growers grappling with downgraded fruit and significant losses.
In Sunlands, in the Riverland, citrus grower Mark Doecke says pickers are now starting around midday to avoid damaging fruit weakened by the conditions. According to Fabio Spiniello, who works in sales and marketing for the company, an astonishing 60 to 70 per cent of fruit has been downgraded this year.
Growers with netted orchards are faring better, with their fruit more likely to reach premium grade. But for many others, blemish and skin damage have become unavoidable.
“With blemish, it’s generally the winds we get over December and January when the fruit is still small,” Mr Spiniello explained. “The oranges are about golf‑ball size and they just rub up against sticks and leaves, then as they grow the blemish becomes larger.”
Wind damage, combined with heavier‑than‑usual rainfall in the semi‑arid Riverland, has weakened the skin of some varieties. “We are seeing a little bit of that with the Washington navel, but the Cara Cara have been sensational,” he said.
Mandarin supply has also taken a hit, down about 20 per cent due to late flowering and record‑breaking heatwaves earlier in the season. For growers, the challenges have been relentless and for consumers, the impact is now becoming visible.
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