WHILE much of the state lingers in extended drought, vegetable growers are battling with a case of too much of a good thing after massive rainfalls during April.
The two tales tell a story of extremes - as their western counterparts deal with a second or third consecutive winter without a crop, those who copped the coastal low pressure system earlier in autumn are still dealing with too much water.
Vegetable growers in the Sydney Basin are reeling from the rain - their crops were crippled and now they are facing a winter with little to no production.
On April 21 the Sydney region was hit with downpours of 80 to 130 millimetres, the heaviest rain in 13 years and the most rain in April since 1998.
On the same day, falls of up to 312mm were recorded in Dungog - the district's heaviest rain in more than 100 years.
As temperatures plummet in the shift to winter, many growers in the Sydney Basin remain waterlogged and unable to produce a crop.
Their optimum sowing window has shut, removing the prospect of a winter harvest. For many, their next harvest won't be until September.
"Most growers will sit through winter without any income," said NSW Free Growers Horticultural Council chairman Mario Muscat, Pitt Town.
"There just isn't the product in the ground."
He said cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower from the Sydney region would be scarce as a result.
Mario's cousin Andrew Muscat, also of Pitt Town, would normally have swathes of kale, bok choy, and leeks in the ground by May, but not this year.
"All the crops for winter should have been established by now, but by the time it dries out enough and we replant again we will have lost the winter season," Andrew said.
"We're already about six weeks behind now and it's a bit too late really.
"There will probably be an oversupply in September which is an inconvenient time for the price to be down given there's a lot more yield at that time of year."
Production has been stalled for the past month in key growing areas including the Hawkesbury, Wollondilly, Central Coast and Hunter areas.
Mangrove Mountain grower Michael Champion, Champion Mountain Organics, said soil compaction from the rain had "choked" production in his area.
"My neighbour's tomatoes have no colour at all. Nothing wants to grow," he said.
Mr Champion said the rain had cost him up to $500 a week for the past month.
"Normally I can pick 10 kilograms of rocket off a 100 metre row but we're picking just one-tenth of that now," he said.
Nearby at Kulnura, Terrell Unitt, "Callang", also said production was down.
"There was just too much rain and my zucchinis didn't flower well," he said.
"We only packed 12 boxes from 4000 plants. Usually at this time of year we would pack 350 to 400 boxes."
Some retailers have reported price rises in locally-grown vegetables, but for the most part NSW's shortfall has been filled by other states.
Prices for products such as broccoli, bok choy and leaf vegetables firmed up by about $2, but timely shipments from Victorian and Queensland suppliers meant the cost to consumers didn't spike dramatically.
"One farmer's good luck is another farmer's bad luck," said Freshmark president Bill Chalk.
"Retailers handle a variety of lines from different areas, so if the local stuff isn't there the Victorian and Queens-landers step in."
He said thanks to interstate supply, prices would remain steady throughout winter despite ongoing disruption in the Sydney Basin.
Retailers and growers have also played their role in cushioning consumers from the impact.
However, waterlogged growers contracted to agents have still had to purchase produce from the market floor at floor price to meet contracts.
NSW Farmers district council member for the Cumberland area David Ha said growers who contracted to grow herbs such as coriander for $6 (a dozen) are now being forced to buy it from the market for up to $18.
"That's more than $10 you're losing out of your back pocket, but that's what happens."
While not contracted to an agent, Mr Ha, who operates a two hectare vegetable farm at Dural with his wife Betty, is cutting baby bok choy three weeks ahead of time to fill orders.
They also had to leave a good portion of the crop in the paddock because the outside leaves were badly damaged.
"By the end of June and into July we won't have much at all left to cut but we have to fill orders."
Several retailers told The Land they had shielded their customers from price increases stemming from short supply.
Sydney grocer Tony Trimboli, Trim's Fresh, said prices should have been up to 50 per cent dearer, but putting the price up too high could backfire if the perishable stock didn't sell.
