The pineapple industry is reporting a smaller crop this summer, with cool, desert-like dry conditions over the second half of 2019 to blame.

Key points: Brisbane Markets is reporting a 40 per cent drop in pineapple supply over the next few weeks

Brisbane Markets is reporting a 40 per cent drop in pineapple supply over the next few weeks Fruit is also much smaller than usual with demand for fist-sized fruit holding strong

Fruit is also much smaller than usual with demand for fist-sized fruit holding strong One packing shed in north Queensland is employing 40 per cent fewer staff

Brisbane Markets is reporting a 40 per cent decline in pineapple supply over the next few weeks, despite quality remaining strong.

North Queensland's Rollingstone districts is one of the first to supply summer fruit but despite a soaking start to the year, production is well down on the long-term average.

Three Rollingstone farmers supply Paradise Pines where, packing shed manager Robert Richardson said, the profile of the fruit had also suffered.

"We started off the season after a pretty intensive wet with high hopes of large yielding season, but it just hasn't gone that way," he said.

"You also get a lot of sun damage [so] plants that aren't growing healthily will allow fruit to fall over and be sunburnt. It's not good for supply."

The workforce at the Paradise Pines packing shed is down 40 per cent on the typical season peak. ( ABC Rural: Tom Major )

The business will be 30 per cent down across the board and up to 50 per cent down on certain varieties of fruit.

In addition, the shed is packing much smaller fruit than usual, with demand for fruit down to fist-size holding strong.

"What it does for supply is shorten everything up and make it pretty hard for us to supply the entire country with pineapples at this time of year," Mr Richardson said.

"I've got people calling asking me to give them fruit that I just don't have."

Price boost no compensation

Two packing benches usually operate in December, the height of the north Queensland season, but the business is employing 40 per cent fewer staff and running just one side of the shed.

"It's good for growers, but in one way it's not so good for independent grocers who then have to charge more to secure a supply," Mr Richardson said.

"Woolies and Coles have had a lot of issues getting supply so you'll see less pineapples in the store."

For growers however, the higher price — up to $30 per tray — will likely not compensate for the decreased harvest.

Pinata Farms is one of Australia's largest growers with operations in the Northern Territory, Atherton Tablelands, and Caboolture.

Managing director of Piñata Farms Gavin Scurr says despite the low quantities of fruit, pineapple quality is excellent. ( ABC Rural: Jacqui Street (file photo) )

Managing director Gavin Scurr said prices were solid due to the low supply, but quality was still strong.

"Pineapples in the last week have shortened right up due to them not ripening like they were," he said.

"Thirty dollars is very good money. We get that every couple of years, maybe once a year for a week or so.

"The reason is that there's not a lot of fruit around and growers aren't making a lot of money, even at $30, if you don't have much."

War on waste

Pinata Farms has been picking smaller fruit this year, which reduces the waste that resulted from oversupply the past two seasons.

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"We've been packing down to a size 12 in a box, which is about a kilo-sized fruit, coffee mug-sized," Mr Scurr said.

"We'd normally not pack that; that would normally go on the ground or at best, to a juicing factory."

After consecutive glut years, Mr Scurr said it was a reminder growers were at the mercy of the seasons.

"It's ironic. Last year, at times, there were too many pineapples and from our own perspective, we haven't done anything different," he said.

"The weather — that's the challenge with growing things. We've gone from too many last year to not enough this year."

Dry weather means next season's crops around Rollingstone may be affected with fruit volumes again lower. ( ABC Rural: Tom Major )

Season of extremes

A spokesman from the Brisbane Market said growers were indicating increased supply was only a few weeks away, bringing prices down again.

Despite concerns in some regions that the 2020 season could be impacted by the lack of rain to establish next year's crop, others are more optimistic.

Gavin Scurr said the fundamentals for the business Wamuran farm remained strong ahead of February harvest.

"At the moment next year's crop is looking normal we've had enough rain and good irrigation to keep plants ticking along," he said.

"Fingers crossed it's okay, we've had some hailstorms in the last month or so that have affected pineapples in our area, fortunately it missed us."