Coronavirus Victoria: Ag industry struggles with outbreaks and border bans

Southern Australia’s agriculture industry is facing a reputational crisis as coronavirus outbreaks and strict border regulations begin to hit the nation’s supply chain.

Locked out: Farmers are confused over whether they are included in essential frontline workers allowed to cross the border from Victoria.

WIDESPREAD abattoir closures and crippling border bans are threatening to derail southern Australia’s agriculture industry.

The meat processing sector is reeling as 11 Victorian plants hit by coronavirus in recent weeks, with fears the outbreaks will harm the industry’s reputation for clean and safe processing.

And NSW and South Australia’s tough new border controls are starting to hit the agricultural supply chain, with Victorian farmers struggling to get permits to access interstate farms and farm workers locked out from working across borders.

The situation has prompted Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud to convene an urgent meeting with state ag ministers today to discuss the growing issues, including access to seasonal workers and the challenges facing the meat processing sector.

At least 345 coronavirus cases in Victoria have been linked to meat processing sites, while a cheese processor was also forced to close after workers tested positive to the virus.

Australian Meat Industry Council chief executive Patrick Hutchinson said the sector was being unfairly blamed for the number of positive cases, and that the industry was now battling a stigma in the community, to the detriment of Australian farmers, truck drivers, and the wider agricultural industry.

“This is a public health issue and a community transmitted virus, not a meat industry or food safety issue,” Mr Hutchinson said.

“There has been an overemphasis of cases being linked to the Australian meat industry, yet the virus is being transmitted in the community, not generated from within any particular industry.

“We don’t want to see a frontal assault on the meat industry. It hurts farmers, the wholesalers, truck drivers … all these people are affected.”   

JBS Australia’s Brooklyn plant has recorded 76 cases, forcing the plant’s closure.

A number of workers who tested negative to COVID-19 were back at work on Monday, before stopping work early yesterday morning, calling for safer working conditions. 

Stay home: The site of an outbreak at JBS Australia, where workers walked off the job yesterday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Wayne Taylor

The Australian Lamb Company in Colac is linked to 50 cases of the virus, and is understood to remain shut until at least the end of the month, subject to Department of Health and Human Services clearance.   

An ALC spokesman said disruption to meat supply has been kept to a minimum, with some operations moved to alternative facilities including a sister site in Sunshine.

A DHHS spokesman said decisions to close a business due to a COVID-19 case is taken “on a case-by-case basis” with “no single trigger point” determining a shut down.

“A comprehensive assessment is first made of the site’s public health risk, and the Chief Health Officer makes any final decision to order a business to close based on numerous factors,” the spokesman said.

This is despite the industry calling for clear guidelines in March on how abattoirs could continue to operate in the event of a virus outbreak.

Following a closure, businesses are required to deep clean facilities, before being allowed to reopen.

Premier Daniel Andrews said a short-term shutdown of Victorian meatworks was not likely at present.

“That’s not the advice I have at the moment. If we were to continue to see outbreaks … then every option is on the table. That’s not the position at the moment. They’re not the only high-risk site,” Mr Andrews said.

Meanwhile, NSW and SA border bans are starting to bite, as both states enforce tougher rules on who can and cannot enter from Victoria in a bid to keep the virus out.

While agriculture is still considered a critical service eligible for border permits, NSW has tightened the definition to “frontline workers undertaking direct and essential operational activities” only.

A spokesman for the NSW Department of Customer Service said the critical services exemption “does not apply to all persons working in the mining, agriculture, construction, energy or manufacturing sectors”.

“The critical services exemption is to ensure major infrastructure and essential services are maintained and not interrupted,” he said.

“The NSW Government apologises for the frustration and disappointment of people who are not currently eligible for cross the border into NSW. The border permits reflect the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 in Victoria and the need to minimise the risk of transmission into NSW.”

SA’s border rules on essential travellers do not specify agriculture at all.

VFF president David Jochinke said farmers from the grains, dairy and livestock industries were “bombarding” the farm lobby with questions and calls for help getting permits.

Mr Jochinke said SA and NSW’s border policies were being dictated by their health departments, which had failed to consider the wider implications.

“We understand the health concerns but to have the hard lockdown on cross-border communities, they’re the ones feeling the brunt,” he said.

“Farming is becoming almost impossible for anyone who own property cross-border … the long game is we’re jeopardising the upcoming season if we don’t resolve it in weeks.

“If we’re not keeping the state borders open, we’re not keeping Australia open and that will cripple the regions. Any discussion of an economic downturn will be magnified if we can’t find a pragmatic solution.”