Weather News

Downpour a mixed blessing for growers

Queensland's peak horticulture industry group says continuous rain on the Sunshine Coast is helping some growers and causing problems for others.

Growcom says the region has received more than 1,100 millimetres of rain in the past few weeks.

Chief executive Alex Livingstone says the wet weather has affected the quality of crops, caused erosion and prevented harvesting and planting preparations.

But he says the big wet is good news in the long run.

"The dams are full. There's good subsoil moisture being replenished, aquifers are filling up, streams are flowing," he said.

"So in the medium to longer term this is wonderful news.

"The issue is that all year round somebody is trying to plant, somebody's trying to harvest and whenever you get the big rains like this it's going to affect some people negatively and some people positively."

- ABC

© ABC 2010

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