Orchardist Robert Fitzpatrick is resigned to some of his fruit splitting from rain. ''With the cherry hanging, water sits on the top in a scoop, causing a ring crack and in worst cases, a split down the side,'' he said.

His best chance of avoiding damage was a good gust of wind after the rain. Another grower, Barisha Batinich, used a helicopter to dry ripening fruit four years ago, but he doesn't recommend it. ''You fly the helicopter over the top of the trees, you spend $900, $1000 an hour to do it, and then half an hour later you get another scud of rain over and you have to fly over the crop again.''

Cherry Growers Australia national president Ian Hay said orchardists were blessed with a dry lead-up to harvest, after timely falls before trees went into winter dormancy. ''... So they're weren't stressed and were concentrating on wood this year and they didn't have a heavy crop. If we had a heavy crop this year with the drought, we would have been in trouble.''

Hundreds of fruit pickers have poured into Young only to find the crop isn't ready. Workforce Ready branch manager Vicki Hall is juggling job-seekers between the north side of Young which is two weeks ahead of the south side's season.

The agency has placed 200 pickers so far and expects to place 1000 during season. Young's population of 12,000 will swell by another 3000 at the peak of harvest. Advertisements on websites and in backpacker magazines have brought an influx of job seekers to the district, but many ignored advice to call ahead, in case the fruit wasn't ripe. Korean, German and French backpackers and grey-nomads are looking for work.

Mr Batinich was turning away five to 10 people a day. Ms Hall said growers had showers and toilets to accommodate temporary pickers and preferred them on the orchards and ready to start picking as soon as conditions allowed.

First-timers were advised to expect a slow start of four lugs (a large bucket and strap holding 15kg of fruit ) a day. They were paid about $10 a lug and the aim was to get 10 a day. In ideal conditions gun pickers achieved 40 lugs a day. Mr Hay said because of the drought this year's cop was 40 per cent of what Young could produce in a good season, and 50 per cent up on last year's yields.

Mr Hay said cherries were exported to Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East and trials were underway to satisfy Taiwanese trade officials before exporting to that country. The industry was also courting China, where it hoped to export table grapes, summer fruit and apples.