TOMATOES will be back on the table as Australia's winter food bowl nears harvest time.
The Bowen-Gumlu region in Queensland produces up to 90 per cent of all of tomatoes and capsicums for the Australian market during September and October, and harvest is soon to commence.
While dry conditions in the south saw a shortage of the fruit over summer, pushing supermarket prices upward of $9/kg, Bowen growers have battled the opposite extreme.
Bowen-Gumlu Growers Association president, Carl Walker, said wet weather had hampered the beginning of the season, however most growers would begin harvesting on time in May or June.
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"We start planting about mid-February, but this year we've had some issues with the weather," Mr Walker said.
"It caused all kinds of grief when you're trying to do land prep, put plastic down and plants in the ground and it won't stop raining.
"The water was marvellous in some ways, there's top soil moisture, the water tables are good and the dams are full, so we're pretty much set for the next couple of years."
Mr Walker said growers needed to receive $2/kg for their tomatoes to recover costs and another dollar or two would be welcome to boost the coffers.
"The adverse conditions we've had down south mean there should be decent prices to kick us off. All of us in this region have had two rough years financially; it will be nice to get a bit of a price pick up early in the season."
We were growing in quite a sustainable way to begin with in conventional cropping so it was not a huge transition to organic.
- Jamie Jurgens, VJK Produce, Bowen, Qld
Mr Walker said Bowen was a major producer of tomatoes with one farm alone producing 10 million kilos a year.
Jamie Jurgens, of VJK Produce, shifted his tomato production to be entirely organic in the last four years.
"We were growing in quite a sustainable way to begin with in conventional cropping so it was not a huge transition to organic.
"It is still early days, the organic market is very small compared to traditional."
He also grows green beans, pumpkins and mini capsicums on his Bowen farm.
"It is a a continual harvest for us, a continual planting program prepping the land and planting."
He planted tomatoes and capsicums in February and harvest will start next month, until early November. Pumpkins and beans will be harvested from June.
Most of his produce ends up in major Australian chains, while beans are also exported to New Zealand.
