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<pre>Hi Ian,

The fruit set here in Tanja [on the coast, near Bega] has been terrific this
year. I am hesitant to be too enthusiastic at this stage because last year,
despite the drought, things looked good right up until harvest when we
received an enormous amount of rain which created considerable soft nose
problems. Consequently I was reluctant to press such olives for fear of
compromising the quality of our oil and production was minimal.
As is said ... "There's many a slip 'tween the cup and the lip".
I wish all olive growers well for the coming harvest.

Alan Watt
Tanja Olives



-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Fraser [mailto:fraspub@...]
Sent: Tuesday, 9 December 2003 9:22 AM
To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [OliveOil] Fruit set

How have growers found fruit set this season in Eastern Australia? Ours at
Rutherglen seems fair or moderate; some such word. The big winds and
horizontal rain we experienced in NE Vic (unlike last year's very hot
winds) have had some effect on pollination, I'd say. Negative effect, that
is. So while the crop looks OK or average, it won't be the big crop that
seemed in prospect. A couple of four-year-old trees were blown down in the
first storm.

Ian Fraser
Lyric Olives
Rutherglen, Vic 3685, Australia





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</pre>
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