TAMINICK cherry grower Andrew Smith of Smith's Fruit has sold a 5kg box of cherries for a record $165,000 at the annual Sydney Markets charity auction, with all proceeds going to Little Wings.
Ever since 1980, boxes of cherries from around Australia have been judged and the winning box is auctioned off to different charities.
Mr Smith found out his box was judged the best and he flew up to Sydney to attend a Sydney Market Foundation Cherry Ball on Saturday.
"The total raised on the box was $165,000 so it was an absolutely amazing number," he said.
"We had to put forward what we considered to be a good box of cherries and it was judged the best premium box for the season."
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The winning bid of $60,000 was from Talal and Joanne Khanafer from Trims Fresh Merrylands, with additional pledges totaling $105,000; including $25,000 from Sydney Markets Limited on behalf of its shareholders, $20,000 from Sydney Markets Credit Services, and a further $60,000 from a consortium of Sydney Markets businesses and individuals.
Little Wings provides free, safe and professional air and ground transport for seriously ill children across regional and rural towns in NSW, the ACT and QLD.
The annual cherry auction has raised about $2 million since its inception in 1980.
"It's a fantastic initiative for Sydney Markets to do this and it's a great thing to put the cherry industry on the map," Mr Smith said.
"It's an interesting concept and it certainly creates a bit of hype and hysteria and $165,000 was a record number and I'd love to have that for a $5kg box myself but as a grower you just put the box up.
"It's a part of the prestige to say you've got the number one box for the season, but outside of that the big winner is the charity organisation of the day and the money raised was exceptional."
Sydney Markets Foundation CEO Meegan George said the cherry auction allows the market's community to celebrate the stone fruit season in style alongside the wider fresh produce industry and corporate donors.
"By supporting Little Wings and their incredible work, we are ensuring children in rural and regional areas get the care they need, no matter the distance," Ms George said.
It comes at a time soft fruit growers are busy with the harvest in between weather events that have pummeled much of Australia.
Mr Smith said the tropical weather coming this far south last week was extremely rare and on Monday pickers were flat out bringing in the fruit before Tuesday's downpour.
"The rain was almost from Darwin to Hobart and it was very unusual and uncommon and it has certainly touched soft fruit growers whether it was cherry, peach, nectarine or berry growers," he said.
"Even cereal farmers would have been affected, as it wouldn't be good having acres of wheat out there still."
Mr Smith expressed optimism and said farmers are a resilient bunch and they know they can't order the weather but over the last few years it has been more challenging around harvest time.
Smith's Fruit still has 40 per cent of the yield to be harvested up until Christmas and while some of the fruit would have been affected, Mr Smith said technologies in shed with sorting and grading help to minimise waste.
"When mother nature throws you a curveball, you just have to do the best you can and work through it," he said.
