Cairns agriculture has suffered a huge blow following strong gusts that swept the region due to Tropical Cyclone Niran. 

Nine News Reporter Reece D’Alessandro caught pictures of a decimated banana plantation in the Innisfail area.

PICTURES: Banana plantations around Innisfail have been flattened by cyclonic winds.

Farmers yet to assess the damage as TC Niran forms off the coast of Cairns.

Details on @TheTodayShow. pic.twitter.com/Ht1KAEeerq

— Reece D’Alessandro (@R_DAlessandro9) March 1, 2021

Neil Breen spoke to  Pacific Coast Eco Bananas grower Frank Sciacca over the estimated loss.

Mr Sciacca said “100 per cent” of his crop was lost.

“It was everything that was bagged or had a bunch cover on; all the bunches, they all ended up on the ground.”

Based on

While he hadn’t done the calculations for total loss, Mr Sciacca estimated about 10,000 – 15,000 bunches were lost across his 100 acres.

With around 150 bananas in a bunch, Mr Sciacca’s rough numbers would total 1,500,000 bananas lost.

But he added there were around 3,000 acres in the area affected. Assuming similar numbers for the remaining plantations, a modest estimate would posit 45,000,000 bananas lost.

“It’s a lot of bananas.”

Mr Sciacca said the planation now has to wait for the next crop to grow, which will put a halt to any income for 9 to 10 months.

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview 

Image: Reece D’Alessandro / Twitter