Like other producers, Nashdale cherry grower Andrew Gartrell was devastated in December last year after unfavourable weather wiped out most of his orchards.

Excess rainfall and hail cause cherries, often with just days from being picked, to crack, rendering them all but useless for export.

However, in a phoenix-from-the-ashes style transformation, Mr Gartrell used the damaged cherries to make a 5000-litre batch of sweet juice to export to Hong Kong, Singapore and Bali.

The product was such a hit it is now being sold locally through Harris Farm Markets and a local health food store.

“We have had some catastrophic losses in previous years but by putting a great deal of resources into developing this product, a huge amount of opportunities open up for us in the Asian market,s which as a producer, you just can not ignore,” Mr Gartrell said.

“Even if summer rains don’t cause problems this year, we’ll still be producing 50 to 60 tonnes of the juice and if the rain does hurt us, that will likely go up to 150 tonnes.”

The cherries are crushed and produced at a local winery and are then transferred to Brisbane for bottling.

However the process is not cheap, with the average cost just to pick a tonne of cherries about $700 compared to producing orange juice for a fraction of the price at $200 a tonne.

“So the quality and price of the product is pretty representative of that mix.

“It’s always going to be more expensive than the other juices just by the nature of the product,” he said.

Interest in the product has also been shown in North Sydney and Eastern suburbs, areas renowned for their more affluent households.

Total production at Mr Gartrell’s 15 local orchards is expected to hit 1500 tonnes of sweet cherries per season.

This is a fair amount considering the southern hemisphere produces only 50,000 tonnes.

Cherry juice is renowned for helping arthritis, gout and is an alternative for people unable to take anti-inflammatory medication,” Mr Gartrell said.