Renmark man pulling vines as uncertainty continues for growers feeling crucified

Hugh Schuitemaker, Murray Pioneer

A Riverland grape grower has begun pulling his vines – describing it as a “nightmare” – amid uncertainty surrounding prices and a lack of supportive industry action.

Renmark West-based grower Ray Hartigan, 80, said he could no longer justify the impacts of poor economic returns.

“Financially I just can’t afford it,” Mr Hartigan said.

“I’m on a fixed income with superannuation, and I bought this (property) so I wouldn’t have to go chasing a pension. 

“But I’ve done nothing but subsidise the wine industry, with all the fixed costs.

“There are no margins. It costs me $350 a tonne to produce, and last year they offered to pay $150 (at tonne). The year before they offered $250 and only paid a percentage of that.”

Mr Hartigan – a Vietnam War veteran and long-time prominent figure in the Renmark RSL subbranch – said a lack of action from both governments and the industry was still increasing pressure on growers.

“We’re here because of shortterm policy, and a lack of integrity in the commercial world,” he said.

“The wineries have done nothing but crucify us.

“Policy in general has been about being re-elected, not what’s good for industry.

“The separation of water from land is stupid; the (water) buybacks are short-term solutions, so how can you plan for the future?

“I also feel absolutely peeved by the behaviour of (wineries). They’ve been totally dishonest and they’re not good corporate citizens.”

Mr Hartigan said a majority of an estimated $350,000 of growing infrastructure on his property – including posts, wires and polyethylene irrigation piping – would now be wasted.

“These vines are in a prime state, and to prepare to pull them out I’ve got to go through and cut every wire on every vine, and on the irrigation,” he said.

“It’s about $6000 per hectare to remove it. I’ve been working on it for a month and a half.

“It gets worse, because (the posts) can’t be recycled. They will be stacked on my property ad infinitum.

“The ‘poly’”¦ I’ve got to roll those up and take them to the dump. It’s a nightmare the whole thing and I’m on a small scale.”

Mr Hartigan said the wider Riverland economy had suffered due to the wine industry’s challenges.

“There’s people far worse off than me, but it’s a trickle-down effect,” he said.

“I was going to buy a new sprayer this year. I’m busy repairing a 50-year-old tractor at the moment because I’m not going to buy a new one.

“All that comes out of the economy. Normally we injected about $100,000 per year.”

Mr Hartigan said growers and businesses both needed financial stability to ensure agricultural communities remained sustainable.

“I’m sick of being told I’m living in an economy, I want to live in a community,” he said.

“That’s a two-way deal, and you just don’t keep taking low-hanging fruit and squeezing it.

“They are protecting their margins.” 

This article appeared in the Murray Pioneer, 28 August 2024.