Farmers wear cost as starving flying foxes damage banana, berry crops

Key points

• Flying foxes are damaging banana and berry crops on the NSW Mid North Coast, and growers say the losses are costly. Coffs Harbour banana grower Paul Shoker estimated more than 10,000 bananas were damaged on his farm in October alone.
• The bats are suspected to be starving, possibly because flowering trees have little nectar. Berry growers on the Coffs Coast report bats entering protective tunnels, and Berries Australia says some animals are dying in the nets.
• Growers have been advised to add netting, which adds further expense.