Limited supply of watermelon in Maitland thanks to the Varroa mite outbreak

The city is in the grips of a watermelon shortage thanks to the Varroa mite outbreak, which has decimated the honeybee population in the city and the Hunter region.

The watermelon vines that were pollinated - either thanks to some honeybees that hadn't been euthanised or to alternate pollinators like butterflies and hover flies - are far and few between.

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The vines, which usually produce several watermelons, have grown a fraction of the usual yield.

That has seen larger watermelons, but the short supply and high demand has also seen higher prices.

In previous years a regular watermelon in Maitland from the farm would cost $5.

At the Slow Food Earth Market Maitland, and Readers Cafe and Larger in East Maitland, it's now costing $20.

MARKET chairwoman Amorelle Dempster said the lack of adequate pollination had put a big hole in the farmer's income and shoppers were happy to pay a higher price to be able to enjoy the product.

"If people want to eat local watermelon they know that this time they have to pay more - because of what's happened with the bees," she said.

"The farmers haven't produced anywhere near what they would usually produce with their watermelon crop and the higher price does help to compensate them for that."

Farmers Matthew and Liam Dennis said their watermelon supply was almost exhausted.

"We're 70 per cent down on our usual crop," Matthew said.

"The watermelons that we did grow are five to 10 per cent bigger than usual."

Watermelons sold out at the earth market on Thursday last week.

Future of watermelons in Maitland hangs in the balance

MATTHEW said he wasn't sure if they would be able to grow another crop while the farm remained in the varroa mite eradication zone.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries' Varroa mite response team has euthanised all known honeybee hives within the original red zone. It is now working on baiting the wild hives.

Matthew said the honeybee was the best pollinator a farmer could have, and without it the future was uncertain.

He said the idea of obtaining native bee hives had hit a snag with concerns the bees could accidentally consume the NSW DPI's bait.

In the meantime the pair are focusing on producing other summer varieties including tomatoes, eggplants, corn and zucchini.

The next Slow Food Earth Market Maitland is on Thursday, February 16, from 8.30am in The Levee, Central Maitland.

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