Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) vegetable council chairman Nathan Richardson said vegetable farmers had been hit “three times” by the unseasonably dry conditions earlier in the year, flash flooding in January and the recent impacts of the East Coast Low, that hit the state a fortnight ago.

“The floods in January set up growers for a horrible harvest season….so it’s going to be difficult to bounce back, there will be a lot of heartache out there,”  he said.

Mr Richardson said for many growers affected by the floods it would be “game over” this year and they would take a significant financial hit.

“The margin for vegetable growing in Tasmania is tight in a good year, when we have adverse seasonal conditions thrown in it shows that the industry is unsustainable with the current prices.”

Potato growers make 32c a kilogram for “storage potatoes” – dry, clean, good quality product that will last a long time. However when weather conditions affect the crop, the potatoes are designated “processing potatoes” – potatoes that won’t last in storage and need to be processed quickly. Farmers with processing grade potatoes receive less than 30c a kilogram for their product. Cost of production for farmers is about 28c a kilogram.

“The last few tonnes of a grower’s contract can make difference between breaking even and making a profit,” Mr Richardson said.

Recovery from the effect of the floods could take as long as September, as some paddocks are still underwater.

“We have some crops with paddocks that are underwater or have been waterlogged, it’s really anyone guess [how long it will take to recover],” he said.

Potatoes that have been submerged in water are susceptible to rot. 

“Potatoes are a living thing, they need to breathe, they don’t like living in water.” 

Mr Richardson said now more than ever it was important consumers chose to purchase local products or at least Australian made.

“There will be a lot of hurt out there at the moment; we need to keep in the minds of consumers they need to pick up the packets of Australian grown potatoes.”