Orchadists have called for $3 million government funding to help net their fruit against constant attacks from bats.
NSW Farmers’ Orange branch chair Bruce Reynolds said the flying foxes had hit the local cherry harvest with a vengeance this year.
“We’re estimating flying foxes have contributed up to 10 per cent of fruit loss around Orange,” he said.
“It’s extremely frustrating. Farmers work hard for months putting in a crop and it can be destroyed by flying foxes in just one week.”
Colonies of bats have been reported in Cook Park and on Ploughmans Lane this year.
Mr Reynolds said the farmers needed to protect future harvests from more attacks.
They are seeking the extension of a current state government flying fox netting subsidy plus the allocation of $1 million every year for the next three years.
Mr Reynolds said it cost about $100,000 per hectare to supply and install framework netting over the fruit and $25,000-$30,000 per ha to drape netting over the fruit.
He said there was about 130 ha of orchards around Orange that was not netted.
“We want to see every grower granted the opportunity to protect their crops. There’s no doubt additional government funding is needed.”
Managing director of the Caernarvon Cherry Company Fiona Hall said they had been hit by bats this year.
“One orchard at Nashdale, it’s getting a hammering every night,” she said.
“They are taking all the fruit off the top of the trees. They have taken about 10-20 per cent.”
She said the 10,000 trees in the orchard were not covered by nets.
“They (bats) seem to send out scouts for the fruit and then they come back to the same place.”
Mrs Hall said the harvest was so late they had missed the Christmas peak but were hoping demand would continue in the new year.
“It’s very late. We are only just starting to pick. A lot of Orange has a lot of fruit to go.”
Mrs Hall said growers could expect $25 a kilogram for their top quality cherries this year as they are in short supply but they are also in top condition.
Last year there was plenty of cherries around and growers received $10 per kg.
“The fruit looks absolutely fantastic, the big glamour fruit,” she said.
Harris Farm Market in Orange is charging $26 a kilo for premium NSW cherries.
This story first appeared on The Central Western Daily.