Queensland farmers are at breaking point as job snobs leave 7000 positions unfilled on farms across the state in the most vital part of the year. Farmers have already ploughed in or left $35m worth of crops to rot in fields because they cannot find the workers to harvest them. Parts of one of Queensland s traditional bedrock industries are on their knees, QFF chief executive officer Georgina Davis said, with farmers working around the clock and risking breakdown because they cannot find workers to fill jobs as harvest and planting looms for many sectors next month. She said there were 26,000 unfilled jobs nationally and between 6000 and 7000 empty on Queensland farms.
A Department of Agriculture analysis of seasonal labour supply and demand over 12 months from August last year identified the Wide Bay as a “pinch point” in labour availability.
In Gympie, avocado farmer Kate Groves is expecting to start her harvest at the middle to end of February and will be relying on part-time staff and family this year.
“While there is a shortage of pickers I personally think I will be ok for harvest labour,” she said. “Avocado don’t ripen until you pick them, to a point, much better than most other crops that have to picked when they are ready. I have a bit more time than a tomato grower, for example.
by Hayden Johnson
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Subscriber only Farmers are fighting the perfect storm with many in a race against time to secure thousands of workers ahead of the critical harvest season in March. Queensland s $32m in lost crops is expected to rapidly increase when avocados, vegetables, bananas and berries are due for harvest in March. Industry groups, fearing the lack of workers will decimate the sector, have launched a new FarmReady Hub in a desperate effort to match workers with farmers. Queensland Farmersâ Federation President Dr Georgina Davis says COVID-related disruption to farm labour was becoming more concerning. Picture: Mark Cranitch.