Brace Yourself for Fresh Tassie Fruit
Buy Local Christmas Campaign 2025 – Tasmanian Irrigation

There’s nothing like fresh Tasmanian cherries and apricots during the summer holidays – on their own, in salads, with meat or even in cocktails.

That’s the advice from Campania orchardists Ian and Denise Newnham and their son Jake, who will harvest more than 50 tonnes of apricots and 180 tonnes of cherries this summer from their Lowdina Orchard.

Ian said while 70 per cent of their cherries will be exported to Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and China, there will be plenty of cherries and apricots for the local market.

“When you go into a supermarket, it’s easy to find plenty of imported and processed goods,” Ian said. “It’s so important for consumers to support farmers’ markets, farmgate experiences and cellar doors, and proactively choose Tasmanian grown goods from the supermarkets.

“We are probably the last orchard in Australia to grow the variety called Moorpark, an old English variety, and we do this because consumers love their flavour and taste and look out for them every year.”

The Newnhams have 20 hectares planted to cherries and eight hectares to apricots. They have invested $5 million in the past five years on packing sheds, nets and rain covers, and are about to spend a further $250,000 on a larger dam.

Underpinning their farming success is water from the South East Irrigation Scheme Stage One.

“Quality water means quality fruit so access to good irrigation water is crucial for our business,” Ian said.

“I have been here since 1988 and I have worried about water just about every year.

“We are all very excited about the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme, which will improve the quality of our irrigation water and increase reliability.

“Grapes, walnuts, olives, cherries, stone fruit and all sorts of amazing produce that relies on water – people are investing millions of dollars in the south east in anticipation of the new irrigation scheme.

“The average age of farmers is going up every year, but I am one of the fortunate ones as my son Jake is taking over the business. However, if the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme wasn’t going ahead, I doubt I would have encouraged him to stay on.”

Ian said the lack of winter chill, which is crucial for fruit set, as well as rain, gale-force winds and hail in spring, had resulted in delays to this year’s fruit harvest.

But he said they will have up to 50 pickers eager to start work as soon as the cherries and apricots are ready to harvest.

“Some days I wish I was 30 again as there are so many exciting things happening in Tasmania’s agricultural industries, mostly due to the high surety Tasmanian Irrigation water,” Ian said.

“We are all so fortunate that we can support our State’s farmers by enjoying such quality food and beverages grown in some of the world’s cleanest air, richest soils and ideal climate.”

For more information about Lowdina Orchard, please visit www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057386622176.

You can find additional detail about the South East Irrigation Scheme Stage One on Tasmanian Irrigation’s website at www.tasmanianirrigation.com.au/schemes/south-east-stage-1 and the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme at www.tasmanianirrigation.com.au/schemes/greater-south-east-irrigation-scheme.