Damaged?: GRIFFITH and District Citrus Growers Association president Frank Battistel examines some of his fruit which he hopes will be undamaged from recent frosts.

LOCAL citrus producers have their fingers crossed waiting to see if their fruit suffered frost damage after the area experienced its coldest June day ever last week.
Consecutive days of thick and heavy frosts, and temperatures dropping to as low as four degrees, may have taken their toll.
Riverina Citrus executive officer Peter Morrish said if fruit had been damaged it could take weeks to see, but fruit with a high internal sugar content should be unscathed.
“It’s hard to tell at the moment if fruit has been damaged because it takes a while for the damage to be seen in the fruit,” Mr Morrish said.
Griffith and District Citrus Growers Association president Frank Battistel said low temperatures highlighted the importance of winter irrigation to citrus growers.
“The watering began on Sunday but the extreme frosts were on Friday and Saturday,” Mr Battistel said.
“If any damage has occurred, and we don’t know if it has yet, it will most likely have occurred then.”