Pineapple supply to outstrip demand in 2023
While most of us see the rains as a blessing, there are commodities in agriculture that go against the wind and need longer, dryer spells.
What can be one grower’s good fortune can be their neighbour’s hell.
Cast your mind back to 2022 where we saw unseasonably warm weather (about 4 degrees warmer than usual) combined with double the average monthly rainfall. This combination has created the ‘perfect storm’ triggering a mass natural flowering event. A natural disaster of a different kind.
On the surface ‘natural flowering’ indicates a ‘usual’ annual natural flowering event. On any one ‘average’ year it’s approximately 10% of a crop. However, the 2022 growing year resulted in 60% to 80% of the crop flowering too early. This will mean the only crop produced this year for many growers and significant impacts on the following crop. Growers are predicting a potential oversupply followed by a shortage as they regroup, replant and bunker down.
It will be a tough 2023 for many pineapple growers, they have some extra hard yards ahead of them. So, what can we do to help?
Buy a Queensland pineapple of course and stock up on your Golden Circle tinned goods and juices.
From drinks to baking, savoury and sweet there is so much that can be done with this humble yet versatile fruit. Not into its delishness? It also makes a great table display or a striking piece of décor for the kitchen. You could even whack some sunglasses and headphones on one and they’ll look right at home in a teen’s bedroom.
According to the latest Hort Innovation horticulture statistics, 40% of Australian households purchased fresh pineapples, buying an average of 1.1kg per shopping trip. That’s a great start but let’s aim for 100% of Aussie households buying a pineapple or two.
Growcom has, and will continue to advocate for assistance for the Pineapple industry to support them through this natural disaster from recognition of the issue at a government level, to getting the best possible market result with the crop they have.
We need pineapple growers to stick around…we have your back.
