Due to labor shortages, Queensland farmers have been forced to trash up to $42 million worth of crops, as international tourists continue to avoid the country following Covid-19.
Only 15,000 backpackers are currently employed in Australia, down from 130,000 prior to the pandemic’s closure of international borders.
As a result, there is a major lack of unskilled laborers in the agriculture and horticultural industries, resulting in significant food waste.
Supermarket prices for various fruits and vegetables are projected to rise further as a result of recent flooding in the state, at a time when Australians are coping with cost-of-living rises on numerous fronts.
‘It hasn’t improved… we continue to see fewer backpackers in the country than was the case before Covid,’ Growcom policy and advocacy manager Richard Shannon told The Courier-Mail.
‘We do have a shortfall in our unskilled labour pool, those who complete our important harvesting roles.
‘There is an incredibly tight labour market and it’s difficult to recruit into agriculture and horticulture… they’re not as desirable as other industries’.
Participants in the industry have urged for immediate assistance in finding more workers, warning that until fruit and vegetables can be picked, consumers will likely see’modest price rises.’