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

09.12.2022 790 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

30.03.2026

Ukraine - Preferential lending for farmers under 5-7-9 program extended until spring 2027

Ukraine’s spring sowing campaign has started on time with optimal soil moisture levels, and the government has expanded its support tools for farmers, including preferential loans, crop insurance, and security measures in frontline zones, said Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky.

30.03.2026

India - Gurugram seeks crop loss survey after 'unseasonal rain hits Rabi harvest'

The district’s agriculture department has sought a detailed survey report from private insurance companies to assess crop loss caused by unseasonal rains over the past two weeks, officials said on Sunday, following complaints from farmers across Sohna, Pataudi, Farrukh Nagar and Gurugram’s outskirts.

30.03.2026

Pakistani mango crop hit by weather disruptions in South Punjab

The mango sector in Pakistan is facing production challenges this season, with climate conditions affecting the output of the Summer Bahisht Chaunsa variety in South Punjab.

30.03.2026

Vietnamese exporters adapt to tighter EU residue limits

Exporters in Vietnam are adjusting production and compliance systems as European Union regulations on maximum residue levels (MRLs) continue to tighten for imported agricultural products.

30.03.2026

Jamaica - Green Climate Fund approves US$50 million project promoting climate resilient agriculture

The Government has unveiled a US$50 million project promoting climate resilient agriculture.

30.03.2026

Malaysian crop losses reach up to 50% under extreme weather

The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry in Malaysia has reported that fruit and vegetable losses at the farm level can reach up to 50 per cent under unpredictable weather conditions.

29.03.2026

Nigeria - NiMet Partners Rex For Weather Insurance To Farmers

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has partnered with REX Insurance to provide weather-based insurance solutions designed to help Nigerian farmers safeguard their livelihoods against climate-related losses.

29.03.2026

India - Sirsa farmers seek insurance payouts, procurement probe

Farmers in the district have raised concerns over unpaid crop insurance claims, delayed compensation and alleged irregularities in rice procurement.