Local vegetable growers are looking down the barrel of another season ploughing crops back into the soil – not from lack of demand, but a lack of human labour.
It’s become a race against time to get the required overseas seasonal workforce into Australia, through quarantine in Tasmania and onto the paddock.
That race hinges on the Victorian Government signing an agreement to extend the current arrangements.
Locally, Bulmer Farms is in need of 40 lettuce pickers by early October, Busch Organics needs 22 broccoli pickers and Bonaccord requires 60 to 80 pickers for sweet corn and beans later in summer.
“It results in increased prices on the shelves,” Bill Bulmer said.
“We need a competent, reliable workforce.
“If the government really understood the industry they would do something.
IMAGE: Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, with Lindenow Valley vegetable growers Matthew Busch, of Busch Organics, Bill Bulmer, of Bulmer Farms, and Keith Ingram, of Bonaccord Ingram, in one of Bulmers’ lettuce crops. K236-5431
