Worker shortage crop losses at $22 million and counting

A national register tallying farmers’ crop losses due to a seasonal worker shortage has been launched — and it already surpasses $22 million.

Queensland strawberry farmer Nathan Baronio says his family’s business has already lost half a million dollars due to a shortage of pickers.

FARMERS have reported more than $22 million in crop losses due to a shortage of workers to pick their fruit and vegetables.

A new register launched by the National Farmers’ Federation’s horticulture council has provided growers with a means of quantifying the extent of their crop losses for the first time.

The NFF is eager for concrete data to advocate for greater government intervention given “there is no silver bullet and we sadly expect this to continue through summer and into next year”, chief executive Tony Mahar said.

“Our political leaders and governments need to understand what’s happening on the ground so they can respond with better solutions. And there is an important opportunity here as well to educate the public on what’s required in terms of human labour to ensure their grocery aisles are full of fantastic fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts.”

So far just 30 growers have recorded their losses, but they average more than $730,000 each.

Queensland strawberry grower Nathan Baronio was one of the first to report a loss of more than $500,000 and expects that figure will mount over coming months when his production peaks in March.

“It is an incredibly demoralising situation. Our staff and management team are working

way too long and hard to get the crop off, but eventually we’ve had to sacrifice some fields

in order to harvest others,” said Mr Baronio.

He said that loss was made in October, and they have since been fortunate enough to secure another 30 workers from the Solomon Islands as part of Queensland’s seasonal worker program restart trial on Wednesday, but worried for other farmers in the Granite Belt who were still waiting on the Government to bring over pickers and packers from the Pacific Islands.

Mr Mahar described the unfolding situation as seasonal workers and backpackers headed home as a “slow moving disaster”.

There are usually 145,000 backpackers in the country at this time of year, but just 53,712 remain.

The National Lost Crop Register asks growers — with crops ranging from vegetables, fruit, grains, seeds, hops, nuts and flowers — to report the farm gate value of their lost crop due to not having access to enough labour, and the impact that has had on their business and livelihood.

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