North East orchardists open for pick your own berries 10 days later than normal

Cherry and berry growers have reported a season that is 10 days later than normal owing to a wet spring and a cooler than average summer.

Stanley-based High Grove Cherry and Berry Farmer owner Tony Iaria said they would open for berry picking on Thursday.

Mr Iaria said it would be a week to 10 days later than normal due to the unusual seasonal conditions.

"From Thursday we'll have raspberries, tayberries (cross between a blackberry and a raspberry), blackberries and blueberries," he said.

"The quality is good."

Mr Iaria said other varieties of berries - boysenberries and waldoberries - were still a few days away.

He said cherries would also need another week to ripen.

"We'll now be picking until the first week in February whereas most of our varieties are done by Australia Day," Mr Iaria said.

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The impact of La Nina was evident last season with a report by RaboBank estimating Australia's total cherry production for 2021-22 was down 15 per cent on the previous year.

Another Stanley operator Europa Gully Orchard will re-open for cherry picking within a week after closing early in the lead-up to Christmas.

Owner Peter Chambeyron said they planned to re-open for pick your own cherries on Monday.

He said due to the unusual recent weather conditions, their cherry crop had ripened later than normal.

"The rain badly affected the season," he said.

"Cherries don't like wet feet.

"Our crop is 15 per cent of normal but we'll have six or seven varieties of late-season cherries from about next Monday.

"Some of our trees have died; in one corner of the orchard we've lost 150 trees."

Mr Chambeyron said the unseasonal conditions had impacted the rural sector across the board.

"But the apple crop is looking very good at this stage," Mr Chambeyron said.

"We'll have pick your own apples from March and then chestnuts from about April."

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