Lazy bees and wet conditions reduce Tasmania's apple yield, but fruit 'excellent'

The apple harvest is underway in Tasmania where orchardists say challenging seasonal conditions have reduced yields but the fruit quality is excellent. After all the wet in winter and spring last year then from the start of February this year it's just forgotten how to rain" " I've never seen a season like it. " "We had a lot of sites that just didn't get pollinated," Mr Squibb said. Scott Price, who grows apples in Huonville in Southern Tasmania, said his crop size was down but the quality of the fruit was "excellent". "The backpacker tax was everywhere in the media but we haven't seen the impact at the coalface as yet," Mr Ashland said.