Wine grape growers get end of year bonus

WINE grape growers received an end of year bonus on Wednesday with rebates presented at the Leeton Soldiers Club.

The Wine Grapes Marketing Board closed its Griffith office on Wednesday to spend the day in Leeton meeting growers and returning excess charges.

Board chief executive officer Brian Simpson said the morning was also a chance to interact with growers.

“We are returning growers a portion of fees and charges the board collects from growers to run services,” he said.

“We had a high crush in 2008 and at the end of the season (the charges) were in excess to the budget.

“It also aids in crop forecasting and in terms of supply and demand pricing.”

It was the first time the board had come to Leeton to present the cheques of $1.50 per tonne, equalling an average return of $850 return per grower.

“We start at that (fee) rate so that if we have a decline in yield due to frosts, hurricane or hail we have enough to survive on,” Mr Simpson said.

Mr Simpson said meetings with growers in Leeton and Griffith have not revealed strong concern for the effects of the world financial crisis on grape demand, as warned by others in the industry.

“It is very early on to be calling prices and what the crop will be,” he said.

“The vines are going through flowering now and if the flowers are not good the berries may not be as good and the crop will be smaller.

“We have budgeted for a similar crush on last year. A lot of the industry depends on water supply in other regions, so if irrigators in South Australia and the Murray Valley don’t have more water it could be positive for this region because there would be less nationally to be absorbed.

“If the yield is better it would be difficult for Australia to absorb it all.

“But growers are still planting, which is amazing, and hopefully the are doing it in a viable way.”