Nation’s bounty ‘to wither on the vine’ without more seasonal workers, COVID-easing

COVID-19 impacts on seasonal labour and airfreight pose a threat to fruit and vegetable harvests, with growers urging new measures to head-off crop wastage.

‘I usually by now have all my staff and labour locked in,’ says Martina Matzner, manager of Acacia Hills Farms, south of Darwin. Picture: Shaana McNaught / The Australian

The impact of COVID-19 on seasonal labour and airfreight poses a rising threat to the nation’s spring and summer harvests, with growers seeking measures to stop crops rotting.

From Northern Territory mango plantations to Tasmanian cherry orchards, there is increasing concern about worsening seasonal labour shortages and diminished airfreight volumes as peak harvests approach. 

The $9bn sector estimates 40,000 fewer backpackers and 4000 fewer Pacific Islander than usual are working, with inter­national travel unlikely to resume before summer.

Closed state borders and hotspot restrictions also threaten to disrupt the vital flow of seasonal workers initially north, to the NT, northern Queensland and northern NSW, in spring, and then south again as the growing season progresses. 

“We have some real practical challenges about moving people around,” said Michael Rogers, chief executive of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance. “Health remains a priority but also we need to make sure we can put fruit and vegetables on shelves ... If we don’t get the ­people, we won’t have the produce.” 

Growers want a reinvigoration and expansion of a depleted seasonal worker program to allow more Pacific and East Timor workers to assist with the harvest.

“There would be normally 12,000 people in Australia under that program — it’s about 8000 at the moment,” Mr Rogers said.

Growers are also urging a greater effort to retain backpackers still in Australia and facilitate new arrivals, and provide cash incentives for city-based jobless Australians to travel to ­regions for harvesting work.

Those sending fresh fruit to Asia, meanwhile, are concerned that not enough passenger jets are flying to accommodate sufficient volume of freight in cargo holds for their summer fruit exports.

Mr Rogers said while existing federal freight assistance had been vital, “semi-permanent” freight-only flights and dedicated, non-stop fast shipping services to Asian markets might be needed.

“You don’t want to get to the situation where it just doesn’t work to export, whether it’s seafood or fruit,” he said.

There is urgency in the north, where key crops need harvesting from September or October.

Martina Matzner, manager of a 260ha mango plantation at Acacia Hills, near Darwin, is among those struggling to find workers for the looming six-week mango harvest.   “I usually by now have all my staff and labour locked in but at the moment I have secured about 80 to 95 (of 150 needed),” she said. “I’ve got backpackers sitting overseas who would have loved to join us but they can’t.

 “The NT needs around 2500 workers for the mango harvest. It’s one of the biggest horticulture industries in the NT but without labour, we are doomed.”

Country Liberal senator Sam McMahon said more than $100m of mangoes could be “left to rot” because of COVID-19 restrictions “hampering the annual movement of seasonal workers”. 

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the government was aware of the “workforce challenges” and had extended the working holidaymaker visa to up to 12 months.

He was also “working with the Immigration Minister to ensure he understands the issue so that suitable solutions can be found”.

Michael Simonetta, chief executive of major nationwide fruit and vegetable producer Perfection Fresh, said the NT mango crop was the “biggest concern right now”, but the problem would spread south with the season. “Across the industry, there is a lot of concern about the availability of workers coming into spring and summer when the need for workers really doubles or triples,” he said. 

Mr Simonetta said backpackers still in the country needed to be persuaded to remain, the ­Pacific workers program needed to be expanded and incentives needed to be offered to encourage jobless city workers to travel to join the harvest. “Some sort of travel or living away from home allowance would help,” he said.

There was a risk of produce being left to rot if sufficient workers could not be found.

“Worse-case scenario, there may be a percentage of the crop that’s lost,” he said.  

“I have faith that the unemployed in Australia will hear about this and want to work and we’ll find a way of harvesting the crops,” he said.