Rain, bees, and worker shortages: Fruit growers in Orange face triple-threat

Crops are difficult to access due to "unprecedented" water-logging, harvesting could be complicated by a slow return of backpackers post-COVID and the arrival of varroa mite in bees risks pollination.

Grapes, cherries, apples, apricots, figs, nectarines, peaches, and pears are produced locally. Almost every grower contacted by the Central Western Daily reported challenges in 2022.

Paula Charnock - manager at the Hillside Harvest orchid - said there has been no damage to her cherries so far but: "There's plenty of potential for problems to arise."

Orange has recorded 683.7mm of rain in 2022 - about 15 per cent more than average. This has brought the water table to ground level in some areas and saturated soil.

Montoro vineyard owner Bob Derrick has lived in the region since 1988, and said this is the wettest "we've ever, ever had it".

"The ground is so wet ... I've never had the water table at surface level before, we've never had so much rain. It just squishes, so we can't get onto our vineyard," Mr Derrick added.

Regional growers of cherries, apples, figs, and grapes canvassed reported similar challenges accessing crops because of water logging.

Ms Charnock said: "At the moment that's the main issue - not being able to get out there and do the work that you need to do because we've had so many wet days.

"We can't get out into the paddocks to do the things we need to do, so we're sort of starting to get behind a little bit on things like pruning and maintenance because [it is] so wet."

She said heavy rain can also damage stone fruit, causing skin to split and stalks to crack: "At the moment it's not ... but moving into Spring - if the conditions stay like this - then [we could have problems]."

Multiple growers flagged concerns around ongoing staff shortages and the slow return of backpackers post-COVID could make harvesting difficult.

"It's [very worrying] because this is the third year we've had no backpackers at all to do the work so it falls on me ... it's been a very demanding experience," Mr Derrick said.

In June this year destructive parasite varroa mite - which kills bees, preventing pollination - was identified in Australia for the first time.

Amateur Orange hive-keeper Duncan Lockwood said at the time: "[This could] wipe out the feral population ... almost every fruit that has a European origin [would be affected] - It's a big, big deal."

Colonies have been largely contained, but almost every grower contacted by the Central Western Daily reported ongoing concern of an outbreak.

"At the moment I think it's contained, but the fact it's here is obviously worrying because if it got out further than it already had it would be devastating," Ms Charnock said.