Farm labour crisis: How incentives to get Victorians into harvest jobs are failing

The Victorian Government is offering to pay up to $250 a day in travel and accommodation for jobseekers to take on fruit-picking gigs – but we reveal the astonishingly low take-up rate.

A VICTORIAN Government scheme to get more Australians working on farms appears to be failing, with just 15 applications for relocation grants in the past six months.

The state’s $50 million Agriculture Workforce Plan was meant to help encourage unemployed Victorians take up harvest jobs with cash incentives to move or travel for work, while also offering farmers help with staff training costs.

But figures seen by The Weekly Times show that, since the plan was introduced in June, there have been fewer than 50 grant requests made in these categories: 34 worker induction and training grants, and 15 relocation and travel grants. 

Farmers have made a further 379 applications for grants to help make their workplaces COVID-safe, making up the bulk of the $20.73 million spent from the fund so far.

It’s yet another sign local workers will not fill the looming shortage of harvest workers, following news the Federal Government’s own incentive scheme – which offers to reimburse up to $6000 in relocation costs – has only attracted 253 registrations so far, including 57 in Victoria.

Horticulture growers say the looming worker shortage is starting to bite and Aussies are unlikely to take on the jobs. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen / File

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said the Victorian scheme was proving difficult for employers to navigate, as grant applications needed to be made through the Working for Victoria site, adding another layer of red tape.

“Most growers have found the whole thing just becomes too hard,” Ms Germano said.

“We’re not saying it should be that easy but if you’ve employed someone it should be between the employee and employer to apply for everything.”

Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes did not respond by deadline.

HAVE YOUR SAY: What would entice local workers to farms? Tell us in the comments below.

AusVeg spokesman Tyson Cattle said the figures for both the state and national programs were “disappointing, but not unsurprising”.

“It’s another example where it’s been really difficult for horticulture to engage with a domestic audience to entice them to work on farms,” he said.

“The only guaranteed workforce we’ve got is the Pacific Island and seasonal worker programs and we need to find a way to bring them in at scale.”

AusVeg has been calling for a “travel bubble” with the largely COVID-free Pacific Island nations or a “greenlane” which would allow for quarantine-free travel for incoming seasonal workers, in a bid to build up the number of people needed to avoid a devastating 26,000 worker shortage by March.