Mango-lovers are told to expect an undersupply this Christmas as Queensland mango farms experience yield declines.
Farmers said the state’s yield has declined by up to 40 per cent, and the current production is “not great”.
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David Lawrence, a Queensland farm manager said the weather had a huge impact on the crop.
Mangoes typically need at least a few days of cooler weather to flower, while this year’s winter came late or not at all in many growing regions.
“We are probably short about 30 per cent of our usual yield.”
However, some experts said it was “still very early to tell” as it remains unknown if the weather would make a significant impact later this year.
Brett Kelly, the chief executive of Australian Mango Industry Association said “the flowering’s been a bit late due to the weather in Queensland.”
“That means that the volume is probably going to go down a little bit, but it’s still very early to tell,” Kelly said.
The association has only produced a formal production estimate for one market so far this season, the Northern Territory, because mango producers in the Top End are the first to harvest.
Greg Browning, severe Weather Meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology said this year had encountered a warm winter.
“Temperatures maximum and minimum have been around the degree of above the long-term average,” he told ABC.
Despite the challenges at the start of the mango season, growers said that the quality of the mangoes will not be compromised, even if the quantity falls short of expectations.
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