NSW’s banana growers are looking to build more consistency into the quality and quantity of their subtropical fruit in a bid to buffer themselves against tough competition from large-scale North Queensland producers.
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Banana production across the North Coast has been declining as smaller family operations are squeezed by bigger northern growers who can supply consistently large quantities of the longer, unblemished fruit the market pays top dollar for.
Because NSW’s subtropical bananas take twice as long to grow, they tend to be more marked but at the same time they develop a sweeter flavour, and can be supplied in a convenient ‘lunchbox’ size.
Growers plan to heavily market those points of differentiation but say the first step is ensuring depth of supply of a standard product in a business that has been at the mercy of enormous fluctuations in farmgate price for decades.
“It’s an unfortunate thing but disasters in Queensland and the subsequent price rises due to lack of supply are what has kept us in the game,” said third generation Murwillumbah district grower Andy Everest.
“Most NSW growers no longer rely on central markets. We’ve developed niches – local shops and farmers markets – but for the industry to grow we need to build demand for subtropical bananas in all markets.
“However, the age-old story is growers can’t seem to unite to send a consistent article.”
A varying standard of supply was highlighted as the first hurdle to overcome at forums held across the North Coast this month aimed at securing the future of banana growing in NSW.
Subtropical market development industry officer for the Australia Banana Growers Council, Geraldine O’Flynn, said there were clear benefits to growers working collaboratively, as had been seen with Western Australia’s Sweeter Banana Co-operative.
“We need to tap into the traits that set our product aside – taste, size, sustainable farming practices and the value to small communities in supporting local growers,” she said.
“But first we need to nail down what our product is and have across the board grower support for that so we can maintain a depth of supply.”
Wholesaler Peter Lahey, who trades in the Brisbane Markets as Viva Produce, agrees.
He said at times there was an abundance of good quality subtropical fruit.
At other times it was impossible to source or greatly varying in quality.
“At the end of the day, retailers are not sympathetic to what sort of weather or other challenges farmers are facing. They have a business to run and want a good product which is available every day of the year,” he said.
“It’s the McDonalds principle – people want to know exactly what they will get for their dollar. Consistency in quality and supply are the only ways to develop faith in a product.”
Banana prices have lifted again on the back of reduced supply courtesy of devastating storms and floods across the North Coast and Queensland and are expected to remain strong until winter.
Lady Fingers are trading at $30 to $35 for 12kg cartons while Cavendish prices to farmers between Macksville and Tweed Heads are up to $30 per 13kg cartons.
That is double the $15 low of late last year.
However, apart from short-term “disaster” spikes, returns to NSW growers have hovered around the cost of production for 15 years, growers said.
Many have diversified into cattle and other crops.
On the Coffs Harbour coast many traditional banana growers have invested in infrastructure for vegetable and berry growing and are gradually scaling back their plantations.
Department of Primary Industries horticulturist Mark Hickey said Coffs’ production had dropped 15 per cent in the past six years and there was now just under 600 hectares of banana plantation.
Third generation Tweed Valley banana grower Tim Johnson has seen farmgate prices for Cavendish cartons swing from lows of $6 to dizzying heights of $130 in the past 20 years.
It costs him about $16 to produce a 12 kilogram carton of Cavs.
He says the peaks and troughs of the NSW banana business are not doing anyone any good.
“We lose customers to other fruits during the times of skyrocketing prices and we lose farmers during times of lulls,” he said.
“We need to move away from that and put some consistency into our industry so producers can plan ahead, invest and grow their farms.”
For that reason, he is more than happy to work to industry specifications as long as they are designed to target specific markets.
Mr Johnson (pictured), who has 10 hectares under Lady Fingers and Cavendish bananas at Clothiers Creek, along with vegetable and passionfruit crops, sells to central markets, local stores and via a roadside stall.
“We have to differentiate ourselves from what is coming out of North Queensland and actively target a specific market that suits our product.”
Despite a very dry spring and early summer, and then deluges which dumped more than 600 millimetres on his farm in January and February, Mr Johnson said his bananas were now powering and he expects production to be on par with last year.
