Bilpin Orchard Confronts Puzzling Apple Shortage
A mysterious agricultural phenomenon has left one of the Blue Mountains' most prominent orchards virtually fruitless, creating significant financial strain and baffling local experts. Pine Crest Orchard in Bilpin, New South Wales, which typically welcomes around 1,000 visitors daily for fruit-picking at this time of year, is facing an unprecedented season with trees remaining almost completely bare.
Growers Left Scratching Their Heads
Orchardist John Galbraith, who operates the family-run farm with his wife Erica and daughter Jo Gubbins, expressed profound confusion over the situation. Despite observing heavy flowering in spring, the expected fruit formation never occurred. "We had what looked like good blossom but then watching the trees over the second week of October I started to realise the flowers had fallen off and there were no apples," Galbraith explained.
The veteran grower described walking through rows of trees that should have been developing fruit. "Instead of the petals falling off and leaving the centre of the flower (which becomes the apple), the whole flowers and stalk had fallen off. You could walk up and down the rows and couldn't find any apples, which should be at that stage the size of a pea."
Economic Impact and Tourism Consequences
The financial implications for the Galbraith family are severe, with apple trees comprising approximately 60% of their orchard operations. The unusual shortage extends beyond Pine Crest, affecting multiple orchards throughout the Bilpin area and creating a devastating knock-on effect for local tourism.
Day-trippers who would normally visit pick-your-own farms and support local businesses are staying home, compounding the economic damage to the region. The situation prompted Greater Sydney Local Land Services to organise a special workshop with growers and experts in late October to investigate the mysterious phenomenon.
Investigating Potential Causes
During the workshop, several theories emerged to explain the puzzling absence of fruit. Weather conditions during the critical pollination period featured prominently in discussions, with strong winds potentially preventing bees from effectively pollinating the crops.
The varroa mite infestation, first detected in Australia in June 2022, was also considered as a contributing factor. A Local Land Services spokesperson noted the parasite has "caused a significant amount of wild bee hives to be destroyed, so there's a lack of the wild European honeybees."
Competition from flowering eucalyptus trees presented another theory, as these are more attractive to the European bees that were brought into the area. "Those hives would have gone for the eucalypt," the spokesperson added.
Unanswered Questions and Future Concerns
Despite these hypotheses, Galbraith remains unconvinced about their relevance to his specific situation. "We have a beekeeper that comes in who manages the hives and makes sure that there's no mite in his hives, so I can't see that it was terribly relevant to our situation," he stated.
The orchard maintains regular soil and plant testing, which typically identifies any problems before they escalate. The fundamental uncertainty troubles Galbraith most: "The problem with not knowing what it is, is that you can't then take action to ensure that it doesn't happen the next year."
Apple and Pear Australia Ltd (Apal), the peak industry body, declined to comment on the matter when contacted, leaving local growers to face this agricultural mystery with limited resources and growing concern for future seasons.
