P COSTI & SONS PTY LTD
GROWER NEWSLETTER
No: 06/201128th October 2011
Section 1 – P Costi & Sons Pty Ltd Report
Market report
Quality Report
Picking Schedule
General
Section 2 – Trevor Norton Report
Section 3 – Fruit Doctors Report
Section 4 – Important Dates
SECTION 1
Market Report
This season has been a year that if I was to report to you on a weekly basis about the market, today’s newsletter would not vary from the first – therefore today would be the same, do you really want to hear the market conditions again…..hear goes:
1)High exchange rate (backup to 1.07 this morning).
2)World economy depressed.
3)Oversupply of small fruit.
4)Low Export prices due to the above (particularly Valencia’s).
5)60% - 70% of Valencias not packable due to size/quality.
6)Minimal Juice quotas (Valencia)
7)Domestic Market slowing up due to supply of other variety of fruits such as melons, mangoes, cherries and stone fruit.
VALENCIA
Japan
Japan market finishes next week. As you all know we have struggled with manifest (size of fruit) for this market all season and have been trying to push small fruit to them. Due to the fact that we have overloaded them with 88’s and 113’s the Japanhas decided to pull the pin one week earlier then normal.
Other Exports (HK, NZ, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Bahrain)
We will continue to pack for other export markets until Christmas as long as fruit is still suitable for export. Price is competitive and exchange rates are still high therefore the returns is not much better than juice price for fruit packed under 70’s and smaller and of course, this is were most of the fruit size is..
Other Varieties (Mandarins/Lemons)
No other citrus varieties are been exported at present. We sent our last container of Afourers to New Zealand last week.
DOMESTIC
Valencia
Valencia’s have been slow on the market due to Navels finishing later and because of other fruit varieties such as Melons, Mangoes, cherries and now stone fruit hitting the market. ObviouslyValencias is the least preferred variety during the summer months. Our space in the supermarket decreases by 70% during the warmer months due to the summer fruit varieties.
Lemons
Lemons have strengthened in the market over the last two weeks resulting in price returns improving. However we are finding due to the hot weather Lemons have limited shelf life and are deteriorating quicker, any growers with lemons please try to finish by the end of next week.
Mandarins
Afourer - We are finishing Afourers next week. All Riverland Afourers are finished.
Honey Mercotts –Mercotts have been small this year. Price for medium to large fruit remains strong. We would like all Honey Mercott growers to finish by the end of next week.
Other Mandarins – Any growers with other varieties of Mandarins please contact the shed for picking schedules.
JUICE VALENCIA
Valencia Juice
Most of the fruit (70% or more) this season will not make it for packing, therefore ending up in the juice truck. For this reason and also the heavy crop of Valencia oranges there will be an oversupply of Juice fruit.
We need to manage the large crop of small Valencia on a week a week basis. We ask growers to be patient and work with us to ensure all fruit is picked. This season we will work hard and endeavor for our entire grower’s fruit to find a home whether it is packed or straight juice.
TREVOR NORTON REPORT
Irrigation
With the likelihood of greater temperatures than normal through November and December it will be important to maintain a good supply of irrigation water to trees. Review current irrigation practices to accommodate these expected high temperatures. Any rainfall during summer should be treated as a bonus and not as a substitute for irrigations.
Pest Control
Monitoring fruitlets before calyx closure (in the next couple of weeks) should be a priority at the moment. Once petals have fallen from flowers the time is right to consider application of pest control sprays if required. Any incidence of pests including katydids and thrips should be controlled immediately to avoid future fruit damage such as halo marking etc.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer programs should also be in full swing at the moment through both soil and foliar applications. Continual leaf flush through summer will allow flexible application of foliar nutrients and trace elements.
If any grower requires any further information please do not hesitate to call us at the shed.
Regards,
Helen Aggeletos