QUEENSLANDERS PREPARE FOR A SUMMER TREAT

Banana lovers are in for a summer treat as supplies of the popular fruit return to normal capacity over the Christmas/New Year period.

Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said consumers should notice an increase in the number of North Queensland bananas appearing on supermarket and fruit shop shelves in coming months.

“It’s great news for all consumers that a staple of the Aussie diet, the home-grown banana, will be back on the shelves, better than ever and just in time for summer.”

The heart of Australia’s banana growing region, Innisfail, was devastated by Cyclone Larry in March this year. Supply of North Queensland grown bananas fell from around 400,000 cartons per week to just 40,000 cartons.

Thanks to an innovative, internet-based forecasting system developed by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, the industry will be able to ensure a continuous flow of bananas into stores.

“The Banana Crop Forecasting System (BCFS) which is hosted on the Australian Banana Growers Council’s (ABGC) website has been an innovation that has worked well in assisting the recovery effort,” Mr Mulherin said.

“Growers themselves have entered details of their crops and their projections for harvesting, so individual businesses can assess what the overall trend for supply will be and make decisions to ensure a constant supply for consumers.”

Development of the BCFS was funded by DPI&F, Growcom and Horticulture Australia Ltd.

“Officers from DPI&F, along with industry recovery officers from ABGC and Growcom, have worked with our North Queensland growers to rebuild the industry after the absolute devastation of Cyclone Larry,” Mr Mulherin said.

“It is a tribute to all in the industry that they have been able to pick themselves up, many of them just hours after battling for their lives through one of the worst cyclones ever to hit the east coast, and start looking to the future.”

The ABGC is undertaking a media campaign to alert consumers around the country to the countdown to when banana supplies will be back to normal.

Media: David Potter 32396530