Grape growers let fruit rot on the vine

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Winegrape growers in north-west Victoria say they're being forced to let grapes rot on the vine this harvest.

Chardonnay is the biggest variety being let go, and growers say that by the time you've paid to harvest the crop, you'd literally lose money on it.

Phillip Engelfield from Vintage Traders says that whether you've got a contract or not, the money just isn't there for growers...

"Contracted growers are suffering," he says.

"They're not suffering anywhere near the level of pain that uncontracted growers are."

"But even the contracted price, by and large, is at a level that simply is not sustainable."

Sourced from ABC.