Australia - Murray River flooding persists with grape, citrus growers facing uncertainty over harvest

09.12.2022 1241 views

Three quarters of Roberto Fuoco's table grape property in north-west Victoria is underwater and more rain is expected in the coming days.

The harvest at his Nichols Point property would usually begin in February, but at this stage it's unclear if any of his fruit could be picked. 

The situation was probably not helped by the fact the only way he could get around his vines was via canoe.  

Mr Fuoco expected crop losses and redevelopment costs on his property to add up to millions of dollars. 

The Australian Table Grape Association's industry development manager Jenny Treeby said hundreds of hectares of crop was under threat.

"There are two different types of growers, ones that have built levees, they are going to be worrying for a long time about whether they'll break or not," Ms Treeby said

"Then there's a smaller number of growers that are fully inundated."

Ms Treeby said it was unclear what kind of impact the flooding would have on vine health and grape production.

"Most of the science we can access has only been for vines that have been inundated for up to six weeks, this will be much longer," she said.

Thousands of hectares impacted

The latest figures from Agriculture Victoria shows more than 498,629 hectares of farmland had been flood affected.

There's been 15,662 livestock deaths reported and almost 12,000 kilometres of damaged fencing.

Rural Financial Counsellors are helping flood-affected farmers apply for grants, loans and subsidies.

Further downstream in New South Wales, flooding was also affecting John Waters's eight hectares of citrus.

"I can't even do anything on the property because there's water through everything. If there's disease control or anything it can't be done unless you bring in an aerial sprayer," he said.

The flood peak has been revised several times and was now not expected to arrive until later this month.

That means Mr Waters would need to continue accessing his property by boat for several weeks.

"When the floods come up here, they stay around for a long time, so it will be months before I can get back in the orchard again," Mr Waters said.

Authorities predict the Murray River at Mildura will peak between December 15 and 17.

Source - https://www.abc.net.au

20.10.2026

USA - High-Yield Cotton Farms Win Big in New Insurance Policy Shift

Growers can finally combine supplemental coverage with farm programs without losing protection that fits their operation. Meanwhile, federal officials are developing trade incentives for four countries that could expand demand for American cotton.

20.10.2026

India - Sanjay Lalla to head EASE project for PSU general insurers

The proposed EASE framework could provide a common reform roadmap for public sector general insurers, with a focus on improving productivity, strengthening governance, modernising technology platforms and enhancing customer service. Its effectiveness, however, will depend on how quickly the recommendations are translated into measurable operational and financial improvements.

20.10.2026

Czechia to subsidize crop insurance for large farms from 2027

The Czech  government has approved a new program: from January 2027, state  insurance support will extend to large agricultural businesses as well. Small and medium-sized  farms already receive such payments. 

20.10.2026

Kenya - Trans Nzoia maize farmers count losses after massive crop failure

CS Kagwe said in August that the country expects a shortfall of about 25 million 90kg bags against annual consumption of roughly 75m bags.

20.10.2026

Tomato growers in Moldova struggle to sell harvests despite high yields

Vegetable growers in Moldova are struggling to sell their harvests despite high yields, with some leaving crops unharvested or selling directly from fields due to limited market access and import competition.

20.10.2026

Tanzanian growers receive fertilizer training to boost avocado yields

The Tanzania Fertiliser Regulatory Authority (TFRA) is providing avocado growers in Busokelo District, Mbeya Region, with training on fertilizer selection and application to improve yields, fruit quality, and access to domestic and export markets.

18.10.2026

Chilean orchards assess crop damage following severe rain and hail

El Niño continues to dampen industry projections across South America. Earlier this week, severe rain and hail hit south-central Chile, where the Andean country concentrates most of its fruit production. 

18.10.2026

India - Women Farmers Encouraged To Adopt Natural Farming In Indore

He said the government was implementing schemes to make women self-reliant and independent, including 'Lakhpati Didi', 'Namo Drone Didi' and 'Krishi Sakhis' (agricultural companions) under the National Mission on Natural Farming. He said women were excelling in every field and bringing honour to the nation and state.