Shoppers will need to order Australian cherries early this Christmas, with supplies expected to be tight as growers deal with cooler, wetter conditions.
A new report from Rabobank Australia found consecutive La Niña weather events could increase the likelihood of splitting in this year's cherry crop.
Associate analyst Pia Piggott said higher rainfall could lead to reduced local availability of the sweet red fruit.
"Last year, we saw that there was lots of November rain in major growing regions [leading to a] decrease in total production of around 15 per cent and a decrease in exports of around 20 per cent," she said.
"When there's the unseasonal rain, we have less of the quality cherries that we're able to export and that definitely has an effect on farmers and their margins."
With widespread flooding already expected to drive up the price of fresh produce, Ms Piggot said cherries could also be more expensive this year.
"We do expect that, because the supply is tight and producers' input costs have been rising, including additional costs because of the rain, we might see elevated prices in the retail space," she said.
Ms Piggot said growers with protected cropping were less likely to be have production losses.
Peter Brooke has just finished putting up more netting over his organic cherries in Barmera, in South Australia's Riverland.
He said heavy rain in late October had led to fruit splitting for his first crop.
"Luckily we didn't have too many early ones, and none of them beautiful," he said.
Mr Brooke said he hoped warmer weather this week would bring better fortunes after losing his entire crop last year.
"Even if we hadn't lost them, we weren't allowed to pick them anyway because of fruit fly — we were in the red zone," he said.
Southern NSW cherries looking good despite delays
Rain and cold weather will also delay cherry picking on the NSW south west slopes, but Young grower Scott Coupland said he believed there would be plenty of fruit for Christmas.
Mr Coupland, who is also a NSW Cherry Growers Association committee member, said it would be at least two weeks before he started harvest.
"I've had a look at some early cherries, and they haven't progressed far enough to get any splitting," he said.
"It's just making it really difficult to get out in the orchard and do work, and while we don't have to irrigate, it's impossible to get tractors out and do any spraying."
Mr Coupland said forecast temperatures of over 20 degrees Celsius this week would be good for the cherries.
"We're fortunate at Young to be growing on hilly, well-drained soils which has helped with rain run-off," he said.
Supermarkets have been monitoring the availability of fresh produce, amid flooding across the eastern states.
Woolworths Group chief exeuctive Brad Banducci said the supply of several seasonal fruits, including cherries, had been delayed.
"The cherries aren’t fully mature, so we’re still working with the suppliers," he said.
