Ideal growing conditions have chestnut growers counting down to a likely bumper 2017 harvest.
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Chestnuts Australia president Brain Casey, Australian Gourmet Chestnuts, Eurobin, said that while “you never know until the money’s in the bank” things looked positive across the horticulture sector.
“It has been ideal growing conditions,” he said.
“The hops have been the same thing, the apples, generally speaking most horticultural crops in the North East have had a pretty good growing season.
“The trees are all growing well and we’re looking forward to a good crop but horticulture is always risky.”
Chestnuts are hardy growers which can tolerate frosts while their spiny casing protects the fruit from predators such as birds and makes them less susceptible to hail damage.
The North East produces about 70 per cent of Australia’s annual 1200 tonne chestnut crop.
Wandiligong-based Nightingale Brothers are Australia’s largest chestnut growers, with 160 hectares of trees at Stanley.
The trees are all growing well and we’re looking forward to a good crop but horticulture is always risky.
- Brain Casey, Chestnuts Australia president
Good sub-surface moisture, cool spring and summer and an absence of frost or summer storms had created good sized nuts but picking could be up to a fortnight later than last year.
“By this time last year there were nuts in the market and we’re nowhere near it. We’re probably two weeks off that,” said Richard Guthrie, who manages Nightingale Brothers’ Stanley operation.
“They were flowering on and after Christmas this year whereas other years they have been well and truly finished flowering by Christmas.”
Mr Casey said internal rot remained a potential risk, and it would be one of the topics discussed when Chestnuts Australia hosts a field day and 2017 season launch at the property of Bright growers Peter and Andrew Guest on their Porpunkah Road property today.
About 60 growers have registered to attend the grower-focused day.
During the day Chestnuts Australia will launch its latest recipe brochure with five new recipes for 2017 under the theme Make everyday meals special with chestnuts.
“We usually have a couple of presentations in the afternoon and we launch the marketing campaign for the season,” Mr Casey said.
“We cover technical issues, this one’s looking at internal rot, which has been an issue this year.
“We’ve got some researchers discussing trials that are going on to contain internal rot.”
