Canadian farmers solve labour shortage woes

Victorian grain farmer Craig Henderson was starting to panic when unable to secure local staff for harvesting, until an international SOS was answered.

Six Canadians, three Kiwis, a Longerenong ag student and a Qantas pilot walked onto a local grain farm.

It’s no joke but an intricate solution to the nation’s labour shortage, orchestrated by the Henderson family to secure staff prior to this year’s harvest on their Wimmera and Millewa farms.

“It was a real panic for a while when we couldn’t get staff. Two of the Canadians worked here four years ago, so we asked if they could find some guys and head over,” Mr Henderson said.

“They are all farmers, including a father and son, so we have a bloke here who is 57, it’s a great story.

“My nephew went over to New Zealand and found three staff and we have a Qantas pilot, who helped when Covid-19 grounded the planes, coming back during his holidays.”

The overseas additions were incentivised to head to Australia and are provided accommodation and a vehicle. The parma on top is Bluey, an ex-pub chef, who will be cooking all meals.

Grain farmer Craig Henderson has secured staff from overseas to help harvest his Wimmera and Millewa properties in the face of a domestic labour shortage. Picture: David Geraghty

Mr Henderson said the crew were unable to secure a visa without a specialty, so they nominated ‘specialist harvest operators’ and were given the green light.

“They even had green and gold T-shirts made up to with the title ‘I’m a specialist’, they are all great blokes,” Mr Henderson said.

The six, from the Canadian Prairie Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, recently wrapped up their own harvest season.

They have been in Victoria for a month waiting for it to stop raining and for paddocks to dry out to start harvesting the farm’s wheat, barley and lentils.

“We’re only just getting into it, they were probably sick of pulling down fences and cleaning up around the sheds,” Mr Henderson said.

Some of the workers Wimmera grain farmer Craig Henderson has assembled from overseas and locally to get through this year's delayed harvest.