As planes full of seasonal workers from Tonga arrive in Tasmania, there is still anxiety over whether there will be enough workers to get through the state's peak fruit and vegetable harvest season.
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The issue of seasonal workers has been the hardest hit issue to face the rural sector during the COVID pandemic due to the impact of border controls in Tasmania and overseas.
Fruit Growers Tasmania chief executive Peter Cornish said January and February were peak harvest times and while the easing of border restrictions had resulted in a reasonable influx of seasonal workers from the mainland and also overseas, some businesses were still concerned there would be a shortfall.
"We are cautiously optimistic, but with the international flights, we're only talking about 600 people in total coming in, during peak season we have up to 8000 positions available," he said.
We are at least hopeful that we will be able to get the bulk of the fruit off during peak harvest season, but it remains to be seen how successful it will be...
- Fruit Growers Tasmania CEO Peter Cornish
He said the lifting of border restrictions had helped, with mainland seasonal workers travelling or returning to Tasmania to fill some of the shortfall.
"We are at least hopeful that we will be able to get the bulk of the fruit off during peak harvest season, but it remains to be seen how successful it will be."
Mr Cornish said the alternative was to let the fruit rot where it grew in the paddocks, which would cause considerable hardship for farmers.
However, he said farmers in Tasmania were naturally resilient and many were already finding a way to get as many workers to their farms as possible.
INGENUITY SHINES
Mr Cornish said fruit businesses had found ways to help remove barriers for people who wanted to work.
One example was horticulture giant Costa, who has driven a marketing campaign to encourage Tasmanians to take up fruit picking jobs. It has also started up a bus service for seasonal workers, removing the transport barrier, which has been reported as a significant challenge for potential workers.
Costa Berries regional manager Cameron Folder said the business partnered with Merseylink to provide the additional commute service, which was on a four-week trial during December and January.
"Our recruitment team receives regular feedback that a lack of transport is a barrier for people attending work," Mr Folder said.
"Analysis of our local applications supports this and indicates a number of potential workers do not have access to transport.
"Costa has listened to those concerns and as a result we are partnering with Merseylink to subsidise a local Devonport bus service."
Mr Folder said it would connect pickers in Devonport to Costa's East Devonport strawberry farm and Wesley Vale strawberry and raspberry farms providing a morning pick up and return travel at a cost of $2.50 each way.
It will run seven days a week excluding Christmas Day. Mr Cornish said there were other examples of horticulture businesses being proactive to encourage as many local people as possible to apply for harvest positions.
He said industry-led recruitment drives were working - as exemplified with results at Burlington Berries.
"Burlington Berries usually have about 30 per cent locals working during seasonal harvest time, but this year they have more like 50 per cent," he said. Costa also reported low churn among locals who had taken up seasonal work, in encouraging signs that Tasmanians were heeding the farmers' calls.
EXPLOITATION CLAIMS
Mr Cornish said past reports about exploitation on farms was damaging the sector, but rejected any insinuation that exploitation was happening on Tasmanian farms.
While he said "no industry was perfect" most of the reporting on seasonal worker exploitation was happening in other states, referencing an explosive report from the ABC about exploitation in New South Wales.
Mr Cornish said stories like that could damage the reputation of the sector across the country, and Tasmania was not exempt. However there was no evidence from his end that issues were happening in Tasmania.
When asked where there were issues on Tasmanian farms, Mr Cornish said most were family-owned operations, who took their work and their employees seriously.
"We have a high rate of returning seasonal workers, from the mainland an internationally, they keep coming back season after season. I don't think they'd be doing that if the conditions weren't good," he said.
"Seasonal workers are brand ambassadors for Tasmania, and farmers want to make sure they are treated right so they take that experience home with them," he said.
PIECE RATE DISPUTE
Mr Cornish said Fruit Growers Tasmania would not support any changes to the piece rate, despite a push by the Australian Workers Union.
"We would not support the push for an hourly rate to be established for seasonal workers," he said.
"It needs to be fair for all, not just the workers."
Mr Cornish said the piece rate existed because it provided incentive for pickers to work harder, which helped to get fruit off the vine or the ground when it was ripe.
He said piece rates were set by farmers, with no limit on how high or low the rate could be.
The reason farmers are finding it hard to attract workers to fruit picking currently is because people don't want to be ripped off and exploited..
- AWU national secretary Daniel Walton
Seasonal workers at Costa Berry Farm have expressed their concern about the piece rate and have raised issues with picking bad fruit and not being paid.
AWU national secretary Daniel Walton described it as a "shameful reality."
"The reason farmers are finding it hard to attract workers to fruit picking currently is because people don't want to be ripped off and exploited.
"If we are successful in amending the Horticulture Award every person working on an Australian farm will be guaranteed a basic award rate. This will help drive down youth unemployment in our regions which we know is at catastrophic highs currently."
Mr Cornish said providing an hourly rate would give no incentive for pickers to pick and make it harder for farmers.
- This story first appeared in Australian Community Media's Tasmanian Farmer publication. Follow us here.