MIA growers have shared mixed feelings about the current third successive La Nina event, with some welcoming it and others concerned about its compounding effects.
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The rare third successive event was announced by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) earlier this week, with meteorologists saying the event is expected to peak in spring before slowing down in early 2023.
While this year's La Nina event is expected to be weaker than previous years, growers are still concerned about the impacts three successive wet summers can have on their crops.
Griffith Citrus Growers president Vito Mancini said citrus fruits grow better in dryer conditions, with wet conditions generally leading to smaller, fungus-prone fruits.
"It's not a shock, but it's going to be hard for us," Mr Mancini said.
"Citrus likes arid conditions, but we now need to figure out how to run our orchards more like a tropical area.
"La Nina increases cloud cover, and we need photosynthesis to get the fruit sweet and large. This year we're 10 or 15 mm down in fruit size. That affects how much fruit can go to the premium markets.
Riverina Winegrape Growers chairman Bruno Brombal said wet weather wasn't an issue for vineyards, so much as the associated costs of keeping them disease free.
Mr Brombal said the decreased value of winegrapes meant it was more difficult for growers to afford spraying their crops during wetter-than-average seasons.
"With the wet season last year, some people did 15 sprays, which is very costly," Mr Brombal said.
"If we get that rain event coming through then we can't afford to do 15 sprays because the price we get for our fruit won't cover our chemicals.
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"Wet weather doesn't affect grapes. The only effect is keeping disease out of the vineyard, which means more spraying and people can't afford to do it."
Not all growers were concerned about La Nina though, with Ricegrowers' Association of Australia president Peter Herrmann describing the coming weat season as "fantastic".
"It makes one smile when nature surprises in the way it does with a third La Nina," Mr Herrmann said.
"Rice has shown it will grow in cooler summers as well as warmer ones. Our varieties are very good now and we can expect that whatever the season throws at us that the rice growers will be ready."
Mr Herrmann, who became the RGA president in early September, said a wet Easter period could still cause problems.
"A long, wet harvest is the fear of nut farmers, rice farmers and cotton farmers, while a nice dry, mild easter is something we're all looking forward to," he said.
"There's more money in mud than dust."
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