A date farm in Central Australia is celebrating a bumper harvest after doubling its previous record — and its workers are putting much of their success down to a switch to solar power.

Key points: Since switching to a solar powered system, the date farm has eliminated the water problems experienced in previous years

Since switching to a solar powered system, the date farm has eliminated the water problems experienced in previous years With a dramatic increase in the farm's output, the co-op initially was unsure if they would be able to sell all their dates

With a dramatic increase in the farm's output, the co-op initially was unsure if they would be able to sell all their dates Most of the dates are sold in Australia, but much of the farm's yellow Khalal Barhi variety are heading to the Middle East

The Desert Fruit Company, owned by the Tamara Cooperative, handpicked more than 15 tonnes of dates this season at its farm 60 kilometres south-east of Alice Springs.

Company director Kim Mackay said this year's harvest yielded more dates than ever before in the six years the co-op has run the farm.

"We've had a fantastic season, the best season we've ever had since the new group started the cooperative," he said.

"Last year was our worst year — around 4,000 to 5,000 kilograms — and this year we've well surpassed that with 15,182 kilograms, all handpicked."

Mr Mackay attributed much of the improved harvest to the farm's new solar-powered water system, which all but eliminated water problems they had in previous years.

"Since we upgraded from the old diesel-powered pump to an automatic solar system that runs all day long, we've increased the amount of water to the plants by far," he said.

"Also, we've improved the organic fertigation process — I think those two together have contributed to our fantastic season."

The Tamara Cooperative picked more than 15,000 kilograms of dates this harvest, three times as much as last year's result. ( ABC Rural: Jack Price )

Before installing the solar power, the farm used a diesel bore pump, consuming around a litre of diesel for every kilogram of dates produced.

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But Mr Mackay said the new automated solar-powered water system allowed for much more water to be consistently distributed to the date trees, and the co-op was only now starting to see the benefits.

"By the time we got the good watering system in towards the end of 2017, the trees had already flowered," he said.

"It really was this year that the system gave us the full effect, because it had the whole year of watering leading into this year's crop.

"Instead of watering 2-3 times a week for a few hours, we now have seven and a half hours of watering every day of the week."

The Desert Fruit Company sends its dates to markets in Australia and the Middle East. ( ABC Rural: Jack Price )

Concern there would not be enough buyers

With such a dramatic increase in the farm's output, the co-op initially was unsure if they would be able to sell all their dates.

"There was a bit of concern at the beginning because we knew we were going to have a huge harvest," Mr Mackay said.

"We thought, 'Oh gee, we may not find buyers', but [in the end] we didn't have to worry about that."

Most of the dates were sold in Australia, but much of the farm's yellow Khalal Barhi variety would be heading to the Middle East, which Mr Mackay said were particularly sought-after during Ramadan.

"They're only available for a month at the most every year and being in the northern hemisphere, it's six months difference, so that's why they'll import them," he said.

"This year we finished just before Ramadan, so a lot of our mixed boxes went off to groups that participate with that."

Desert Fruit Company director Kim Mackay says this year's date harvest was the Tamara Cooperative's best. ( ABC Rural: Jack Price )

Focus now on next season

Mr Mackay said the cooperative had plans to expand their date crop to better meet the national demand, but for the time being they were busy preparing for an even bigger harvest in 2020.

"At the moment we're just fixing up the irrigation — over the season when we're really busy the kangaroos chew the pipes, the dingoes chew the pipes, there's sediment in the water and calcium blocks drippers," he said.

"Coming up is the pruning, just taking off the dead leaves and the stalks of the previous year's bunches of fruit.

"All those stalks need to be removed because they get in the way of next year's flowers."