AU: Low bell pepper supply due to extreme weather conditions

The supply of Australian bell peppers is reduced compared to previous years as less acreage has been planted. Supply has also been affected by extreme weather conditions and large temperature variations resulting in quality issues with the fruit.

"We have seen an increase of internal rot and brown seeds as consequences of these environmental issues," explains Steve Tsakoumakis from Kapiris Bros.

"It has been a wet winter along with large temperature variations between the day and night. The overnight temperatures have been very cold placing the plants under stress, overall it has been a difficult growing season."

As a result of these circumstances demand has been strong, prices are well above the previous few years.

Kapiris Bros do not export capsicums currently, instead they focus on supplying the domestic Australian markets with premium produce.

"The plants we grow in the broad acre fields are the same variety as previous years, but we experiment with new varieties seasonally through our R&D program to evaluate if various varieties provide us the improved quality, yield and disease resistance to maximise the plant potential on the farms. The varieties we have been growing over the last few seasons are the best available to balance quality, yield and disease resistance," said Steve.

For more information:
Steve Tsakoumakis
Kapiris Bros
Phone +61 3 8401 1000
Email: steve.tsakoumakis@kapirisbros.com.au