Canned tomato supply halved as Victorian growers struggle against floods, hail

Tomato grower Bruce Weeks supplies SPC with produce fruit for canning. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)

Victorian tomato growers have struggled to recover after flooding and hail damage delayed and damaged this season's crop, leaving canning company SPC down 50 per cent of supply.

The company said the supply shortage would result in the hibernation of tomato products until next season.

Bruce Weeks has been growing tomatoes near Rochester for 40 years and says it has been an incredibly tough season.

"There was too much rain to get the ground ready and then in October we were flooded when we were ready to start planting," Mr Weeks said.

"We delayed planting for four weeks.

"That meant that we couldn't put our full acreage either, so we were back to about half of our normal production."

Bruce Weeks is one of a handful of growers left in Victoria. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)

Following the floods, Mr Weeks said his crop struggled with disease and then, in December, a hail storm damaged the plants' leaves.

Normally growers would start harvesting in early February, however, Mr Weeks is now beginning harvest in late March.

The majority of Mr Weeks's tomatoes are sold to SPC to be used for canned products.

Mr Weeks says the public will notice a shortage of canned tomatoes.

"I think they will be down more than 50 per cent, there just isn't the product around," he said.

SPC's canned tomatoes won't be produced this year. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)

Tinned tomatoes shortage

Typically, SPC requires 50,000 tonnes of tomatoes to process its products each season, however, chief executive Mr Giles says this year it will have less than 25,000t.

"The major crop that's been affected by the floods was the tomatoes," he said.

With tomato production down by 50 per cent, Mr Giles says it will only be canning its Ardmona brand.

Its SPC tomato products will not be produced again until next season.

Tomato plants have been damaged due to hail in Rochester, Victoria. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)

"We have to go ahead with what we've got," he said.

"SPC-branded canned tomatoes will be hibernated until next year.

"We will work to keep the whole peeled, diced and crushed Ardmona brand on shelves."

Mr Giles said the supply issue was not solely caused by Victoria's weather events.

"There isn't any tomatoes around the world right now," he said.

"Prices have more than doubled for imports and Europe has had drought and California has had drought."

Fresh produce tomatoes and other SPC products that use tomatoes, such as baked beans and canned spaghetti, will not be affected, Mr Giles said.

"We are already working on the plan for the 2024 season with growers, and look forward to getting volumes back up," he said.