Which citrus varieties are currently being harvested, and which will be harvested over the winter? 

Growers are currently harvesting navel oranges called M7s. Within the next couple weeks we move on to navelinas, then Washington navels from mid-June on.

Are growers confident in the volume and quality of fruit at the moment? 

Volumes are slowly increasing as plantings in the last 10 years come into production. SA citrus growers are the best in the world and know how to produce volumes with quality.

Will there continue to be an increase in total volumes compared to last year? 

Apart from increasing volumes due to maturing trees, other factors affect production. Extreme weather is the main factor affecting continued increases in production. Also the uncertainty of Labor’s water buybacks has an impact on any increases in production in the future.

Are overseas tariffs expected to impact exports of Australian citrus? 

We just don’t know what effect tariffs will have on our industry. The USA is one of our markets, so we will have to wait a bit to gauge the impact of recent USA decisions. Other markets continue to appreciate the quality fruit we produce.

Is ongoing water allocation security a benefit this year? 

I appreciate the recent 100 per cent allocation announcement, but notice the dam levels receding, and prayers for some rain in our state and the catchments would be a good idea.

With the growing season virtually over, it’s a good time to review how our growing systems worked over summer. Was the irrigation reliable? Did insect monitoring pay off? It’s a good time for any maintenance issues to be addressed.