Exotic fruit growers in Far North Queensland are likely to reap their worst harvest in many years due to the impact of adverse weather conditions.

The beginning of the wet season earlier than usual has contributed to rambutans and mangosteens, which are normally worth millions of dollars to growers, producing limited returns.

Tully grower Peter Salleras, said the signs were looking good early in the season but the fickle weather has since hampered fruit production.

“It’s a bit of a hard one, rambutans and mangosteens need a bit of a dry spell around September, October to flower well and they did get that stressing,” he told ABC. “We should have had a better season then we did, but the early wet season through a spanner in the works there.”

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