New govt initiatives offer support for farmers through winter season

Two members of the Lockyer Valley produce industry weigh in on the State Government’s two new initiatives to get the state growing again.

GROWING PAINS: With the Palaszczuk government rolling out their new plans to get the ag sector growing again, two Lockyer Valley locals weigh in on what they think the industry needs. Lockyer Valley producers Brian Crust and his son Matthew among a crop at their Mount Sylvia Farm. Picture: File

Lockyer Valley producers are facing a dire shortage of workers to harvest crops following COVID-19, which led to the bulk of the workforce’s backpackers returning home.

Now the State Government has revealed plans to assist the agricultural industry through the winter produce season.

The campaign means residents who travel to take up harvest work would be eligible for up to $1500 under the Back to Work in Agriculture Incentive Scheme.

Lockyer Valley producer Brian Crust from Mt Sylvia Fresh said he was all for the government’s new initiatives.

“The more labour we have available the better it is for the industry. Without the workforce behind it, fruit and vegetables just can’t be grown,” he said.

Mr Crust said Mt Sylvia Fresh currently had plenty of workers employed to pick broccolini crops, as he had a strong group of experienced workers mostly on working holiday VISAs.

“We’ve actually been turning away workers as ironic as that sounds with a pandemic on our hands,” he said.

“I think if you build up a strong rapport with the backpackers and you make sure you do right by your workers they will want to come back and work for you the following season and they tell their friends and word spreads and suddenly you’ve got your next season’s labour sorted.”

Mr Furner also announced the industry would be boosted by the arrival of more than 550 Pacific workers over the next two months, to complement the 1223 that had already arrived and started work.

About 160 recently started in the Lockyer Valley, with another 72 heading to the Wide Bay in coming weeks.

Kingsley Harrison from Kings Labour Hire in Gatton said while the increased number of workers from abroad may help with a number of short-term seasonal problems faced by farmers over the coming months, he didn’t believe the State Government was addressing the big picture problems.

“A couple of years ago the government changed all the VISA requirements and rules which has since made things very difficult for students from overseas on student VISAs as they are now only able to work a total of 20 hours a week,” he said.

“It’s good to see the government trying something but these new schemes aren’t going to deliver the results they are hoping for.”

“The new VISA policies have hindered the industry just as much as this virus.”