Flying Foxes Damage Banana and Berry Crops on NSW Mid North Coast

By Jessica Dempster

Banana and berry growers on the NSW Mid North Coast are reporting significant crop damage as flying foxes search for food amid a suspected mass starvation event.

Growers report thousands of bananas have been scratched and left unmarketable, with raspberry and blackberry crops also suffering losses.

Farmers say the bats are behaving unusually, entering plantations and protected growing tunnels during the day and damaging fruit as they search for food.

The damage is creating additional workplace health and safety risks, with some weakened animals becoming trapped or dying in crop protection netting.

Growers are seeking greater support to manage the animals safely, while additional netting and other crop protection measures could add to production costs.

Hunter Valley winemakers are also concerned flying foxes could damage grape crops in coming months if food shortages continue.

Despite the local losses, national banana supply and consumer prices remain steady, with most of Australia’s production coming from northern Queensland.

However, from an ecological perspective, wildlife experts are warning these mass death events happening on the east coast could have a domino effect on ecosystems.