Growers forced to pay top dollar for harvest workers as shortage takes hold
Victorian fruit growers are doing everything they can to secure workers for harvest, including paying “well and truly” above the award rate.
FARMERS trying to pick their crops have found themselves locked in bidding wars with other growers, as Victoria’s horticulture industry works through one of its busiest periods.
Producers are getting through the harvest worker shortage any way they can, with the stone-fruit season nearing its end while the apple, pear and grape harvests start to ramp up.
Cobram-based Tom Panna, from stone-fruit growers Mattina Fresh, said they had found themselves paying “well and truly” above the award rate of $24.80 an hour to secure workers during certain periods.
“In some circumstances we’re paying up to $40 per hour,” he said.
Mr Panna said there had been days when the team of 32 workers in the packing sheds would unexpectedly find itself down to as few as 18 staff.
“There was no call, you just end up with no crew because someone else has outbid what you were willing to pay,” he said.
The federal agricultural data agency ABARES last year warned farmers may find themselves having to pay higher wages, as a consequence of increased competition for harvest workers in the wake of the ongoing labour shortage.
Fruit Growers Victoria’s Michael Crisera said workforce demand was fluctuating from week to week, with growers doing all they could to manage harvest: from sharing staff to help each other out, to leaving behind fruit that was the “wrong” size or colour supermarkets preferred.
“Certainly there’s some processing fruit that hasn’t been picked, but it’s too early to quantify,” he said.
Victorian Farmers Federation horticulture president Nathan Free said the number of workers available was still “far from enough”, and the shortage would be exacerbated for other industries as sowing season drew nearer.
“Ag is a very resilient industry and we only bring things to a head when there is a real problem,” he said.
“Now we’re trying to get that problem to government, but the government’s not listening.”
Victorian Agriculture Minister Mary Anne Thomas – who this week finalised plans to bring 1500 seasonal workers into the state to help with harvest – said the coronavirus pandemic had exposed the sector’s reliance on overseas workers.
“It’s a problem that’s not going away any time soon – we need a national approach,” she said, reiterating her call for Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud to call an urgent meeting of the nation’s agriculture ministers to address the issue.
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