Mixed bag for cherry season after rain damages early varieties

NSW Farmers horticulture chair, Guy Gaeta, said the season started about 10 days early and was proving challenging.

"It is throwing everything at us," he said.

On his own farm at Orange, Mr Gaeta said they were currently flat out picking.

"We definitely don't want any rain now," he said.

"If you gave us 10 days with fair weather we might do well on it and the Australian public will get some really nice cherries."

Mr Gaeta said the early varieties were most affected by rain earlier in the month.

"The late varieties all look good - when it rained they were greener," he said.

"We have got about five per cent damage at the moment of what we're picking and that's pretty good.

"The district is pretty hopeful it's going to be alright."

Mr Gaeta said one beneficial thing this season was the return of backpackers.

"There's hundreds running around wanting jobs so that is a really positive thing," he said.

At Batlow, Greg Mouat, Mouats Farm, said he was generally happy with how the season was going, including good fruit size.

"We've had a bit of rain damage but that is the risk of growing cherries in a climate like Batlow," he said.

"We've got lots of fruit so even if we only get 70 per cent it's still a huge crop. We're fortunate to have fruit leading into Christmas."

Mr Mouat said they sell most of their fruit at their roadside shop, as well as at farmers markets, so while some it would not make supermarket grade, for their purposes the quality was good.

With slightly more than a hectare of trees he said they have had the earliest season ever which started on November 18 with Merchant cherries, and are about a third of the way through the season.

Mr Mouat said they had picked their Lappins and were starting on Sweethearts this week, followed by Regina and Sweet Georgia varieties.