The dramatic drop in edible produce was the first casualty.

Now the popular Maitland produce market, which was supposed to begin a fortnightly schedule this month has fallen victim to the heatwave.

It has been postponed at least until April in the hope that cooler temperatures in autumn, and decent rain, will provide the perfect conditions for produce to flourish. 

Farmers who sell at the market couldn’t win the battle against the unprecedented heatwave.

Almost all of their crops have been affected, except the potatoes, which have somehow persevered against warm earth.  

Decent rain in recent days has seen 41 millimetres fall at Tocal, 42 at Clarence Town, 44 at Paterson and 26 at Maitland. 

But it’s come too late.

Lettuce crops are shriveled, zucchinis are fried on the vine and the silver beet now resembles charcoal. 

Even the hardy pumpkins could not stand up to it. Acres of them have been left cracked and are now rotting.

The heart-wrenching reality has also scorched the farmer’s income. 

Slow Food Hunter Valley leader Amorelle Dempster said the markets would hopefully begin at the end of April when produce stock had replenished. 

“The farmers are having a hard time,” she said. 

“They need our support now more than ever. 

“There will be a delay of at least four weeks – it’s better for the farmers and for the shoppers because we have built up an expectation that there will be a lot of produce, and they will be expecting that.

“The heat we have had has been very unusual, and there’s nothing we can do about that.”

Ms Dempster is still finalising the traffic management plan for the markets with Maitland council.

She said there was more work to do to ensure farmers could safely unload their produce in the shared zone before the market began at 3pm. 

The fortnightly market will run on a Thursday between 3pm and 7pm to give shoppers the chance to come after they collect the kids from school, and after work.

Ms Dempster said it would bring economic benefits to The Levee and provide exposure for businesses in the precinct.

“People will be able to come and buy their food and then shop at the other stores or have a meal in The Levee,” she said.