Guest essay by Eric Worrall
According to the Australian ABC, a 3 ° C increase in nighttime temperatures in Nambour increases the costs for farmers by reducing the size of the strawberries.
Climate change means smaller strawberries, higher costs for farmers
ABC Rural / By Melanie Groves The chance to eat big, juicy strawberries can be a treat of the past as the popular fruit is the latest victim of a changing climate.
Important points:
- Warm nighttime temperatures contribute to smaller strawberries
- Smaller strawberries are more expensive to pick
- Consumers may have to adjust to buying smaller fruit
It’s not cold weather that makes the strawberries shrink, but warmer temperatures.
And because smaller strawberries take longer to harvest, production costs rise along with temperatures – which means lower yields for farmers and could lead to a price increase at the checkout for consumers.
Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) chief gardener Christopher Menzel said field tests at the Nambour research center showed that the size of the fruit decreased as air temperatures rose.
“With [climate change] Even here in Nambour, the records show that nighttime temperatures have risen about 3 degrees over the past 50 to 60 years, which is quite significant, ”he said.
“The size of the fruit is very sensitive to temperature.
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Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-16/climate-change-small-strawberries-warmer-nights/100071954
Can you imagine the misfortune of having to eat smaller strawberries? If there is further warming, it will obviously not be possible for nambour farmers to switch to another strawberry variety or to grow something else, since in the age of climate crisis no adaptation to changed conditions is possible.
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