Mr Stefanon and his wife Cathy have a covered 7000-tree orchard producing Gala, Red Delicious, Mutzu, Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Sundowner varieties, in the Poziers district, situated north-west of Stanthorpe.

However, if it doesn't rain before Christmas there will be no crop which is seasonally due to be picked in the middle of January.

When Queensland Country Life recently visited the orchard Mr Stefanon was busy thinning his apple trees, and more importantly, looking for rain.

"We have had an abnormally hot growing season, particularly in the past three weeks," Mr Stefanon said.

"We have being having heatwave conditions for up to 10 days straight, and little reprieve from the sky.

Mr Stefanon has been growing apple for more than 50 years, and while he reckons he has experienced it all before, he says it has been much hotter this year, than any previous years on record.

"In the past, we might get a couple of days of hot weather, and then receive a good storm which would cool us all down for a while, before it would build up again.

"While there have been some good storm rains recorded in the district recently, we have been only luckily enough to receive falls of 10mm.

"All the trees are watered through a trickle irrigation fed from a dam, and we are losing more water through the evaporation process, than through the irrigation system.

"What will happen if it doesn't rain, is the trees then draw the moisture back from the fruit in order to survive.

"That then stresses the fruit and it doesn't develop to its potential, and obviously can't be sold.

"If we can just get under a couple of good falls the tress will pick up overnight," he said.