Apple growers like Mark Kester are competing with bulk fruit, bad prices and burgers for a place in shoppers' baskets.

The farmer has had enough.

"The thing about growing fresh fruit, if you grow a good product and it tastes good and you get lots of good comments about the taste, it's a real kick in the guts when you don't get paid well for it," Mr Kester said.

A massive glut of apples has driven farmgate prices down, and farmers have been suffering.

Earlier this year, industry body Apple and Pear Australia pleaded with retailers not to take advantage of oversupply.

Farmgate prices have recently dropped to as low as $1 per kilogram, despite production costs being at least $2 per kilogram of apples.

Two major supermarkets have been selling pink lady apples for $4 and $4.50 per kilogram.

Farmers disheartened

It has been a rough year for South Australian apple growers, with hail widely affecting fruit quality around the Adelaide Hills.

But in the south east, the year could not have been better.

"We're into the pink ladies now, first pick last week and with the full moon coming on now the colour is certainly coming into the apples," Mr Kester said.

"More light, cold mornings, sunny days — it couldn't be better.

Mr Kester said apple farming had gotten smarter, but increased production was hurting farmers.

"All orchards have gotten better at growing apples," he said.

"The average used to be 25-30 tonne to the hectare and now I've been on farms where they've picked 100 tonne to the hectare."

He said this was also due to changing consumer habits.

"Why would people go and pay $5 a kilo for apples when they could go to Maccas and buy a burger for $2.

"The industry needs to get together and have a good talk about where they're going in the future."

Mark Kester says it's 'a real kick in the guts' when he doesn't get paid well for good fruit. ( ABC Rural: Jemima Burt )



Hopes export markets will relieve the pain

Apple marketer, Tony Ceravalo, agreed that oversupply and shrinking demand were the issue.

"There is a glut at the moment but also the economy is a little bit quiet, " said Mr Ceravalo, who is on the board of the South Australian Apple and Pear Growers Association.

"The trend over the last few years is that apples are on the decline"

Apple and Pair Australia said the consumption of apples per person had fallen 13 per cent over 10 years, to 8kg per person, per year.

"There's a lot of other things on offer at certain times of the year which also impacts on apples," Mr Ceravalo.

"We've still got grapes in the market, people look for things that are cheap as well.

"If there's a fast food that is cheaper and apples are $4-$5 a kilogram, they'll go and buy fast food."

Mr Ceravalo said the government needed to step in and help the industry develop export markets.

"We need a bit of help getting stuff offshore because we are very expensive compared to other countries," he said.

Adelaide Hills-based apple grower, Ashley Green, said marketing to China would not be a silver bullet for the industry but added that it could relieve oversupply.

"There's a horrible glut of apples and we need to develop that export avenue," he said.

Mr Green recently returned from a delegation to China to help build export markets.

"We've signed a free trade agreement. As yet, apples don't have access from mainland Australia because but we're hoping that the Chinese review that in a couple of years."

"The Chinese market is not going to be a magic fix, especially pricewise, we'll have to be competitive with the rest of the world.

"But with top-class marketing, you find the right customers and develop your product, the market and potential is huge," Mr Green said.

"We have a lot of work to do on our farms, we've got to grow the right varieties that they want and will pay for. As a nation we've got a lot of work to do with transport."