Why do growers need a different cash plan?
In most businesses the gap between paying costs and collecting revenue is measured in weeks. In horticulture it’s measured in seasons. Pruning, irrigation, sprays, fertiliser, netting and labour all come before a single bin is picked — and once the fruit leaves the property, payment often arrives in instalments.
Knowing exactly when each dollar comes back is what turns a stressful season into a planned one.
Wine grapes: payment in thirds
South Australia sets legislated minimum payment terms for wine grapes. Under the Wine Grapes Industry Act 1991, the Minister has set the latest times wine processors can pay:
| Grapes delivered | First instalment | Second instalment | Final instalment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1 April | One-third by end of the following month | One-third by 30 June | One-third by 30 September |
| 1 April to 1 May | One-third by 31 May | One-third by 30 June | One-third by 30 September |
| After 1 May | — | Two-thirds by 30 June | One-third by 30 September |
The industry’s voluntary Australian Wine Industry Code of Conduct adopts these as minimum terms for its signatories. PIRSA notes that in South Australia it’s an offence for a processor to accept grapes unless it has paid in full for grapes received in previous years.
What that means in practice: a Barossa or McLaren Vale grower who picks in March can wait until the end of September for the last third — six months after harvest, and well into the next season’s pruning. The ACCC has observed that many growers don’t receive full payment for up to nine months after delivery, and considers 30 to 60 days after final delivery a reasonable standard for large winemakers.
The Australian Government has committed to a mandatory code of conduct for winegrape purchases by large winemakers — including those buying more than 2,000 tonnes a year on a three-year average — by 1 January 2027. It has said it will monitor payment practices rather than set a fixed payment period straight away.
For warm inland regions — the Riverland, Sunraysia and the Riverina — vintage starts earlier and prices have been under pressure from red wine oversupply, so the per-tonne return can be thin even when payment arrives on time.
Citrus: long seasons, varied buyers
Citrus Australia lists navel oranges as available from June to October, Valencias from November to February and mandarins from April to October. NSW, mainly the Riverina and Murray Valley, grows around 40% of the national crop, according to the NSW primary industries department, and citrus is Australia’s largest fresh fruit export.
Payment depends on who buys the fruit:
- Domestic sales through an agent or merchant fall under the Horticulture Code of Conduct. The grower’s agreement must state the period within which the grower is paid. If a merchant doesn’t pay on time, the grower can give written notice to suspend deliveries or end the agreement.
- Export and retail-direct sales aren’t covered by the code. Packers and exporters often run pools or pay in stages as fruit is sold overseas, so read the payment clause before the season.
Mangoes: a short, intense window
Mangoes run north to south. Industry calendars put Darwin, Kununurra and Western Australia around September, Katherine in October and November, Bowen and the Burdekin from mid-November, Mareeba and Dimbulah in early-to-mid December, and south-east Queensland in January.
Around 90% of the crop is sold in Australia, much of it through agents and merchants in the central markets. The cash pattern is sharp: months of spending on flowering and fruit set, heavy picking and packing labour in a few weeks, then payment as fruit is sold — usually weeks after it leaves the farm. A few days of rain or a market glut at the wrong moment can move the whole season’s return.
Avocados: bigger volumes, bigger swings
National avocado production has roughly tripled in a decade, from about 48,700 tonnes in 2013–14 to about 150,900 tonnes in 2023–24, according to CSIRO. Harvests now run across Queensland, the tri-state region and Western Australia, giving near year-round supply — and more frequent price swings. CSIRO reported that in 2024 some North Queensland Shepard crops weren’t harvested at all because of poor market conditions.
For growers, that means the return per tray is far less predictable than the cost of producing it.
Where are the pressure points?
| Pressure point | Why it bites |
|---|---|
| Pre-harvest | Labour, sprays, netting and picking costs peak before any payment |
| Harvest weeks | Weekly payroll, with super now due within 7 business days of each payday |
| Winter pruning (vineyards) | Next season’s costs start while the last grape instalment is still owed |
| Tax dates | BAS and PAYG instalments can fall before the season’s money is in |
| Capital items | Frost fans, netting, pumps and platforms are bought before the season they protect |
Our guides to PAYG instalments for seasonal businesses and Payday Super cover the tax and payroll side.
How to build a grower’s cash forecast
- Operating costs by month — labour, inputs, contractors, repairs — from your records and this season’s plan.
- Payments by month, using your winery contract, packer schedule or agent’s terms, not your harvest dates.
- Tax, super and capital items layered on top.
- A lower-return case. What if the price per tonne or tray comes in lower, or payment slips a month?
Update the payment layer whenever your buyer revises forecasts. Our seasonal cash flow plan shows the method.
Example scenario — illustrative only. A Riverland grower delivers grapes in late February. The first third arrives by the end of March, the second by 30 June and the last by 30 September. Meanwhile winter pruning crews are paid weekly from June, and the September instalment covers costs already incurred for the next vintage.
Harvest and pruning contractors carry an even sharper gap: crews are paid weekly while growers settle invoices monthly. A revolving facility that refills as growers pay is often the cleanest answer.
How does funding fit?
Our horticulture, viticulture and agribusiness page explains how we work with growers, vineyards and contractors. In short:
- A business line of credit suits the recurring gap between costs and staged payments, for businesses usually trading six months or more, with limits based on turnover and bank statements.
- A property-secured loan of $20,000 to $1m, secured on farm land, a home or other property you or a supporting party own, suits capital items or larger working capital needs.
When you’re ready, start a 60-second enquiry, or read how seasonal business funding is structured around harvest and payment dates.