INCREASING harvest volumes and demand in Australian markets is driving the ongoing success of a Riverland pistachio grower.
Third generation Paringa-based grower James Simpfendorfer – operator of Permedah Fruits – is preparing to harvest his 2024 pistachio crop.
Mr Simpfendorfer said he preferred to let the pistachios ripen as much as possible before harvesting.
“We’ll start harvesting at the end of February or early March,” Mr Simpfendorfer said.
“We probably pick earlier compared to other growers, but we tend to say you should wait about a week after you think it’s time to start.
“Then you get more ripe nuts. If you start picking greener nuts that haven’t quite opened or sized up, then you’re losing money on that.”
Mr Simpfendorfer said the harvest required a combination of some machinery and picker workers.
“We have four other workers helping with the harvesting process,” he said.
“My dad, Martin, my brother Theo, and myself operate the harvesting machines, and the others work on the ground.
“It’s about three, three-and-a-half weeks’ work during harvest.”
Mr Simpfendorfer said ongoing maturation of younger trees was expected to increase the volume of this year’s harvest, however wet conditions in spring last year had posed some disease risk.
“Some of our younger trees are bearing more nuts this year and generally it’s looking like it will be a reasonable harvest,” he said.
“We’re estimating more volume this year.
“About a decade ago we had a very wet spring, summer and autumn and that did a lot of damage but since then we’ve worked out a good fungus control program. If you have a dry spring, summer and autumn, then the pressure is off.”
Mr Simpfendorfer said high Australia demand meant the majority of his pistachios were sold domestically.
“We’re still mainly selling inside Australia,” he said.
“There are some overseas markets, but they aren’t our main markets.
“When pistachios were first grown in Australia it was to replace overseas imports, because before that everything had to come from overseas.
“Australian production has gone up, but the consumption still hasn’t been met by our volumes.”
Mr Simpfendorfer said younger trees beginning to fruit would expand his crop, with other Riverland growers also seeing potential in pistachios.
“We’ve got some trees that haven’t quite started bearing yet, but next year they will have a bit more on them,” he said.
“There’s quite a few new growers in the Riverland as well.”
