The Griffith-based Wine Grapes Marketing Board last week depicted a dismal future for grape farmers in a formal letter to its members.

The unprecedented move comes amid claims home-grown grapes have continually been sold below the cost of production and retailers have dominated the industry. Robert Bellato has been a grower for 33 years, but he has finally decided to sit down and re-think his livelihood.  

“No matter how much I love doing it, it won’t pay the bills and I'll struggle to care for my family for years to come,” he said. “It’s very upsetting, I loved what I did and the hard work was always worth it, but it isn’t sustainable anymore. 

“There will be problems and it’ll be bad for the community, but we have to do what’s best for ourselves and our loved ones.”  

Mr Bellato said rising water prices could work to give growers other options.

“Water costs keep going higher but it’s giving farmers options to take other pathways,” he said.  But the CEO of the Wine Grapes Marketing Board Brian Simpson, who worked on the letter, said there are a number of other factors driving the industry into decay.

He stressed the importance of being honest about the industry’s health. 

“We want to make sure they’re all well aware of the problems and know that conditions are not likely to improve,” he said.