SOUTH Australians are being urged to support local growers by overlooking small hail marks and enjoying apples and pears following a devastating hailstorm hitting the region late last year.
Last October, a severe hailstorm hit the South East and Adelaide Hills damaging many pears and apples.
Local growers worked hard to salvage their produce and although many suffered hail marks, the produce’s taste and nutrition went unaffected.
The fruit will be sold as part of the “Hailstorm Heroes” campaign, recently launched at supermarkets and greengrocers.
Sixth generation farmer Glen Tucker said many of his pink lady apples at his orchard Coorara Estate in Kalangadoo were damaged during the storm.
“It is hard to tell exact numbers of fruit affected, but most of the apples not under netting were damaged,” Mr Tucker said.
“It was very disappointing as we had suffered from a hailstorm exactly a year to date the previous year, it was like clockwork.”
When discussing the campaign, Mr Tucker encouraged the community to look past the apples exterior and support the Hailstorm Heroes initiative.
“As farmers we obviously want to offer our best looking produce to consumers, but with so much produce affected it will be difficult to do,” Mr Tucker said.
At this stage estimates indicate South Australian growers are facing losses of more than $32m in fruit sales due to the widespread hailstorm.
“The storm has impacted the whole industry, around 85 to 90pc of South Australia’s apples and pears are grown in the Adelaide Hills and almost all the orchards sustained some losses during the widespread storm,” South Australian Apple and Pears Growers Association chief executive officer Susie Green said.
“We hope educating shoppers about our Hailstorm Heroes, and encouraging people to buy the fruit, will help to salvage some returns for growers and also help reduce food waste.”
Ms Green said royal gala apples and Williams pears will be the first Hailstorm Heroes at supermarkets and greengrocers.
“However, all apple and pear varieties were impacted by the hailstorm and the hail marks may actually be more visible on popular varieties harvested in late autumn, like pink lady and Granny Smith apples and Packham pears,” she said.
The Hailstorm Heroes campaign is being delivered by Hort Innovation using apple and pear marketing levies, with assistance from the South Australian Apple and Pear Association and support from retailers, Primary Industries and Regions SA, and Brand South Australia.
You can buy special Hailstorm Hero apple or pear packs from your local Coles, Foodland and IGA.
Woolworths will sell Hailstorm Heroes apples and pears as part of its Odd Bunch range and the fruit will also be sold in packs and loose at some independent grocers, so keep an eye out for the Hailstorm Heroes fruit in store.
