A FLOOD of unwanted canning peaches on the market has caused the price of fresh stonefruit to plummet by as much as a third.
Melbourne merchant Ross Barker said the clingstone peaches started arriving at the Melbourne Market last week.
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"I reckon there's double the volume of last year," he said.
"Apart from that, the stonefruit season has been pretty good - up until the last two or three weeks."
As a result of the influx of peaches, Mr Barker said wholesale prices had fallen from almost $3/kg to $2/kg and lower.
At the same time, the retail price of peaches has dropped to as low as $2.95/kg and plums are selling for $1.99/kg in some large stores.
Industry sources blamed the glut of peaches on SPC-Ardmona's decision last year to cut its annual canning peach intake by up to a quarter, impose quotas and tell some growers their fruit was no longer wanted.
Summerfruit Australia chairman Ian McAlister said he'd received many complaints from fresh fruit growers about the drop in prices.
"There was a light crop to start with, the weather's knocked a lot of fruit out and then the prices aren't great and people are arcing up about it," he said.
Comment was not available from Coca Cola-Amatil, which owns SPC-Ardmona.
