By Mitch Gaynor
QUEENSLAND’S pineapple industry is urging Australians to share the love and ‘Take Two’ pineapples home in shopping bags this summer to prevent an unprecedented surplus of our most iconic fruit rotting on the scrap heap.
While Christmas/New Year celebrations have come early for consumers – blessed with a copious supply of fresh, juicy pineapples – the outlook is not so bright for farmers and suppliers across south-east Queensland.
According to Tropical Pines general manager, Anthony Dobson, the region (responsible for producing around 40% of Australia’s pineapples) has been left reeling by ‘one-in-50-years’ weather events.
As he explains, extreme rainfall – starting in February 2022 and continuing throughout the year – triggered a rush of premature plants, also known as ‘mass natural flowering’.
“Mother Nature has thrown a curve ball that could push some Queensland pineapple farmers out of business for good,” says Anthony, adding that under normal conditions ‘natural flowering’ accounts for roughly 10% of annual pineapple crops.
“Instead, up to 70% of this year’s crops [financial year 2022-23], which should be harvested at staggered intervals to ensure continuity of supply 365 days a year, have flowered early…. and all at once.
“Premature flowering also means only half of about 6,000,000 pineapples harvested in the first quarter of 2023 will be of a suitable size for sale, with the remaining 6,000,000 pineapples to be harvested between April and December.
“That’s why we’re calling on consumers to share the love and buy two pineapples – or more – on every grocery shop to help us move surplus stock and prepare for leaner times ahead.”
Even factoring in a 50% loss of undersized crops, Anthony estimates a record supply of 2.4 million high-grade pineapples in January-February 2023, equating to nearly 900,000 more pineapples going to market than the same period in 2022.
In weight (based on a 1kg pineapple), a surplus that adds up to around 150 elephants, approximately seven blue whales or close to 15,000 full beer kegs.
“That’s a whole lot of waste – and heartbreak for farmers – if Aussies don’t get behind our call to bag a bounty of fresh, juicy pineapples like never before.”
In a double whammy for the industry, Anthony said unprecedented pineapple surplus in the New Year will be followed by a supply slump, with only 1.1 million pineapples available from April to July 2023 (down from 3 million the same period in 2022).
As a result, he said farmers faced financial hardship for the next 12 to 18 months, with many predicting a 60-90% loss of crops this summer if consumers don’t rally behind the industry’s ‘Take Two’ appeal.
Nothing short of a labour of love, Anthony stressed successful pineapple farming takes at least five years of planning and coordination for each crop, with plants taking up to two years to reach maturity. Read more about hard work involved in growing pineapples here.
Based on the Sunshine Coast, second generation pineapple farmer, Ian Fullerton, is one of 20 growers for Tropical Pines’ ‘Pure Gold Pineapples’ label.
For Ian, 67, growing Australia’s most iconic – and delicious – fruit is ‘a calling’ that started 50 years ago. In that time, he’s never experienced a more challenging situation than the current boom-and-bust crisis.
“This year’s extreme weather pattern is unheard of and with all the plants flowering early, we can’t possibly pick the full volume of fruit,” Ian said. “It will also be a challenge for customers to consume all the pineapples we can harvest in such a short period of time.
“But I reckon Aussies will give it a good crack – after all, when you taste a perfectly ripe and refreshing pineapple, you’ll always come back for more.”
Image (supplied) Beerwah pineapple farmers Ian and James Fullerton
