Last year, a severe hailstorm hit the Adelaide Hills, impacting apples as they were just beginning to grow, leaving the fruit with small dotted hail marks. The region is home to 85% of the state’s apple crop and all apple orchards sustained some damage during the storm.
Now, South Australian shoppers are once again being urged to support Adelaide Hills apple growers by overlooking small hailstorm marks and spots on new season fruit.
It is the second year that apple growers are facing fruit losses, after a hailstorm hit in October 2017, wiping out a quarter of apple and pear crops in the Adelaide Hills and South East, leaving growers with a loss of about $32 million.
For the second time, the Hailstorm Heroes campaign will roll out and encourage local shoppers to support the industry by overlooking the harmless spots and dots on fruit. The 2018 Hailstorm Heroes campaign saw South Aussies bite in to more than 1000 tonnes of fruit. Apple and Pear Growers Association of SA CEO Susie Green says “this year it’s even more important to support local growers.”
Brandsanews.com.au explains how growers affected by the latest storm have worked hard to nurture the surviving crop, which only sustained a few superficial spots and dots on the skin, and is still good to eat.