Vanuatu mango pickers get out of quarantine and straight down to saving Top End crops

THE 160 fruit pickers flown into Darwin from Vanuatu have completed their compulsory 14 days quarantine and headed straight to farms to start the rescue mission of saving the Top End’s mango industry from ruin.

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AFTER 14 days in quarantine at Howard Springs, Annie Kintor can’t wait to be out in the hot Top End sun and get her hands dirty.

Ms Kintor is one of 160 fruit pickers flown in from Vanuatu on a rescue mission to save the Top End’s fruit farmers from ruin.

The workers are spread across three mango farms at Lambells Lagoon, and on Thursday completed their compulsory 14 days stay in the NT government’s quarantine facility.

It was then straight to the farms to get their new boots, clothes, other equipment and accommodation sorted.

Ms Kintor has been coming to Darwin for the past three years, and despite the heat and the hard work she loves every minute of her time here.

After 14 days at Howard Springs in quarantine, Annie Kintor, Charline Lolting and Bill Frazer Alling are thrilled to get to work on Arnhem Mangoes’ mango farm. Picture: Che Chorley

She says Arnhem Mangoes has become like a second home for her and her fruit picking colleagues.

The mother of two girls and a boy says while leaving her family is always hard, the money she provides for them from the picking season makes it all worthwhile.

“They are home in Vanuatu and providing for them is very important to me,” she said.

“I make money here to help them back home, and this time I will be in Australia for nine months because of the flight restrictions.

“I love it so much here because working on the farm is good and the people here are very good. I have been coming for a long time and everything is very good.”

Bill Frazer Alling is excited to be back for his third season working at Arnhem Mangoes’ mango farm. Picture: Che Chorley

For Barry Albrecht, who owns Arnhem Mangoes, the arrival of the workers is a godsend.

“What’s happening here today has saved my business from being wiped out,” he said.

“We would have had it if we could not get these workers.

“It is about half the workforce of around 80, but the crop is small so we will be able to get it done.”

Mr Albrecht said getting the workers in from Vanuatu had been critical.

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“They are experienced workers who want to do just that — work,” he said.

He said last year his business had 1000 applicants for fruit picking work.

“This year we were flat out getting 60,” he said.

“Out of that, only a handful were locals.

“We look after about 35,000 to 40,000 trees, and most of these people who arrived have been with us for the last three seasons, so they are very well trained in our operation.

“It has taken a lot of pressure off my wife and myself and the organisation. We never thought we were going to be able to get them back here, and we were really desperate to have them return.”

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Mr Albrecht said most of the Vanuatu workers would remain with him until November or December, and some would stay on for pruning, after the harvest.

Others would then move on to Katherine and other places across the Top End where there is extra work.