When fruit grower Ed Biel set up his orchard 30 years ago in Oakdale, it was at the height of apple growing in the area with some 70 farms across the south-western district of Sydney.

Today, there are only two.

He attributes the decline firstly to the changing industry, such as the introduction of controlled atmosphere storage, changing seasonality of apple production and increasing cost structures.

The second reason though is due to ever-increasing property values and astute developers who have pushed up rates and compounded the financial woes of growers.

"The prices have skyrocketed," Mr Biel said.

"I think back to what I paid for this 40-acre block, now you'd be paying 30 times what I paid for it.

Ed Biel says property developers offer millions of dollars per acre for rural land. ( ABC Radio Sydney: Sarah Gerathy )



"The returns don't justify the level of investment unfortunately."

Mr Biel said most of his neighbours and fellow growers had simply opted to sell up and move out.

Sydney food bowl to feed less

What were once quiet rural communities, Camden and Oakdale are now fairly urbanised and further development is likely as town centres expand.

Sydney's west is expected to bear the brunt of more than half of the population growth in Sydney in the next 20 years.

Areas that have traditionally been used to grow food are now slated for housing, particularly around the Camden region where the population is expected to grow from 88,000 in 2017 to more than 226,000 by 2036.

Mr Biel said when he started his business three decades ago, there were only 18,000 people living in the area.

A search on one real estate website showed 16 housing estates either new or in development between Prestons, Leppington, Campbelltown, Oran Park and Spring Farm.

Research published last year by the University of Technology Sydney found that if the city continued to develop agricultural land, it could lose more than 90 per cent of its current fresh vegetable production.

Total food production could shrink by 60 per cent.

Construction sites for new housing estates are pushing up against existing farming land in Oakdale. ( ABC Radio Sydney: Sarah Gerathy )

In 2016, the Sydney food bowl had the capacity to feed 20 per cent of the city's population, but the UTS research suggests that could slip as low as 6 per cent.

"I think the value of retaining farming ... having that sort of system retained on the fringes of the city provides a level of freshness," Mr Biel said.

"I can pick my fruit in the morning and deliver it to Flemington markets tonight and you can purchase it tomorrow.

"But it's not only the freshness, it's the connection the city will lose to its agrarian beginnings."

Hard to refuse land offers

While Mr Biel has not had a developer come knocking on his door yet, his former neighbours could not refuse the offers which saw them pocket millions of dollars per acre.

He said he did not blame those who sold up.

"They work seven days a week, 14, 18 hours a day sometimes and for very little return, so if a developer comes knocking on your door with a big bagful of money, even I'd be tempted.

"Well I think I'm a bit crazy but I'm very passionate about what I do.

"I provide food for the people of Sydney.

"I do it because I love it and I feel I'm doing something worthwhile."

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