Truffle growers heavily affected by weather with some bumper crops and others not so good

President of the Australian Truffle Industry Association Noel Fitzpatrick said weather conditions have affected growers in different areas of the state.

Mr Fitzpatrick said the high rainfall has resulted in waterlogged soils resulting in lower production and lower quality truffles with higher rates of rot.

"When we get into winter we need really cold weather and on the drier side preferably so the truffles can ripen and build that aroma nicely," he said.

However Mr Fitzpatrick said while some growers had a troubled year, others had great success.

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"There are micro-climates where they haven't had quite as much rain, they might have a bit more elevation and the soils are draining more freely and they've had some bumper crops," he said.

For Damian Robinson, Turalla Truffles in Bungendore, yields have been up at least 50 per cent from last year.

He harvested about 100 kilograms of saleable truffles last year and is expected to reach about the 150kg mark this year with harvest still going.

Mr Robinson said he had two of his three plots on the four hectare property of 2000 trees producing good quality truffles.

"We've had a fabulous year," he said.

"Quality wise for me the areas that are working have been really good truffle with really beautiful smell."

Mr Robinson, who is also the NSW state representative on the Australian Truffle Industry Association, said many growers were having insect and slug problems this year making it hard to compare this season to others.

"During the drought there was no insect damage because there was no insects so you ended up with a situation where you were may have been harvesting not as many truffles but a lot more saleable truffles," he said.

"This season the wet has really highlighted how important it is when you're putting in truffles to take note of what your soil structure is like and your drainage because one year it doesn't matter but you get a wet season like this it all really matters."

Gill Cummins, Crookwell, takes her truffle dogs to about 15 farms including her biggest clients Tarago Truffles, Tarago, and Blue Frog Truffles, Sutton, and said she had seen overall a slow season with mixed results.

"There's a lot of truffieres that are pulling beautiful truffles because they had those early frosts but there's a lot that are having a so-so season," she said.

For Wayne Haslam from Blue Frog Truffles in Sutton, this season has been his worst year ever since his first harvest in 2007. Normally he would pull about 50 to 60kg of saleable truffles from his 1800 trees.

"This year I'm probably less than half and much higher percentage of poor quality material of truffle," he said.

Mr Haslam said the combination heavy rainfall of 200 millimetres in November and another 100mm in December, the absence of a hot summer and the late frosts this winter has affected yields and quality.

"When you don't have a hot summer they don't fruit," he said.

"Some of the wet ones were ripening around the outside but in the centre they were still white - they just weren't maturing properly."

"It's been a challenge but that's farming."