North Queensland mango farmers are afraid for their multi-million-dollar crops as they are faced with ongoing torrential rain and muddy orchards. The Atherton Tablelands have received hundreds of millimetres of rain since December. The constant deluges this summer have some farmers worried for their crops.

Local grower John Nucifora, owner of one of the largest mango farms in the north, was hoping to start harvesting tomorrow. However, he said predicted daily falls of up to 100mm would see that delayed until Sunday, or early next week, to allow the fruit and the farm to dry out. Unfortunately, the heavy wet has caused mangoes to fall from the trees.

Nucifora said he was yet to get 60,000 trays of the fruit to market, in an industry worth more than $50 million locally: "There's a turning point and I dare say we're at that turning point now. There are farms that have lost quite a bit of fruit because of the rain and fruit is getting marked."

It has been a tough year for the mango industry, with an oversupply of the fruit to the market in December leading to some of the lowest prices in years.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com