Under the Pacific Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme, farms and orchards host short-term laborers from Vanuatu, PNG, Kiribati and Tonga.
Ausveg CEO Richard Mulcahy says the unstable world economy means backpackers who’d usually pick crops aren’t travelling, so employing Pacific labor is ideal.
“The backpacker has softened quite dramatically and this is certainly providing a solution,” he said.
“It is not the sole answer to all of our problems, but it certainly meets the need for those growers who can plan ahead and are happy to work with a reliable and skilled workforce on a continuing or rolling basis, Mulcahy said.
