Early variety cherries across the Young district are ripe and ready to be picked.
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Ballinaclash cherry grower Ned Mullany said this year's harvest remains on track to be a bumper one.
He said this season's yield beats 2019 and 2018.
"Fruit is looking good," he said. "I think the set, speaking for ourselves, is medium. We're looking at a medium yield. Medium is great. So the yield is really good. The winter was great, the sub-soil moisture is good. It's a good change from the last few years where we've been pumping [irrigating] for months. It's been a good relief."
Ballinaclash were flat out this week preparing to open for shed door sales and pick your own from Saturday, November 7.
Being a pick your own orchard they have avoided impacts of COVID-19 travel restrictions and worker availability.
"We don't use a high volume of pickers and packers to get the fruit off. So it hasn't impacted us a lot. We only need a few and we have them lined up ready to go. I'm not sure about how the others are going," he said.
A new challenge facing orchards this season is to operate in a COVID safe way.
Tourists are being urged to follow COVID signage and social distancing. During a normal season, Mr Mullany said up to 100 people could squeeze into their farm gate shop.
"This year is obviously going to be different. Hopefully it's a once in a lifetime in regard to restrictions. Things are going in the right direction now. We've had to put a few more staff on. If that's what it means to open we'll do it," he said.
"It'll be interesting with the Cherry Festival not going ahead, but I think the people will still come to town. A lot of people are regulars, there'll still be fruit, and a buzz around town."
Another big challenge now for growers is dodging storms and keeping on top of signs of disease. Heavy rain or hail can split the skin of cherries which leads to the fruit becoming more prone to rot.
"There's some anxiety about the weather pattern forecasting a wet summer," Mr Mullany said.
"I think in general most growers are happy with how things are, there's a few orchards that have got under some hail which has done a bit of damage [to early varieties]."
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