Recent extreme rainfall in Tasmania has meant at one family-run operation in the state's north, a bumper crop has gone bad. Gene and Laura Marshall of North Motton Cherries estimate that they have lost more than 60 per cent of their harvest due to last week's rain alone. Last Wednesday night, Gene and Laura's cherry orchard was devastated by 61 millimetres of rainfall. This equates to an estimated $200,000 loss of potential profits.
"It does hit home pretty hard when you've put in the effort for the last 12 months … and then all of a sudden that happens," Gene said.
The North Motton farmers say this could have possibly been avoided if they were granted government funding to purchase orchard covers, but they are ineligible because their harvest isn't profitable enough.
Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
