Millions of dollars in fruit left to rot as backpacker labour barred
A severe labour shortage is sweeping fruit and vegetable farms right across Queensland.
With backpacker numbers dwindling due to the COVID-19 border restrictions, millions of dollars worth of crops are being left to rot.
On the outskirts of Caboolture in the Moreton Bay region of Queensland, rows of strawberry beds are sitting bare.
Fruit fields in Queensland are going unpicked as backpacker labour drops off. 9News
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Farmer Laura Wells, who operates TSL Family Farms, would typically be gearing up to harvest in five weeks.
But without pickers, she says she'll be lucky to fill a basket.
"The severity is massive. We as a business don't know what we are going to do," Ms Wells said.
Supplying premium berries to Coles stores across Australia, the second-generation farmer has already purchased her next 1.4 million plants.
"I am playing roulette, I am putting all my money on red or black and hoping it's going to pay off," she said.
Growers have warned crops will be left rotting in the field. 9News
When in season, the strawberry farm requires 210 pickers to operate smoothly.
Of those workers, 40 percent are recruited locally within the Moreton Bay area, while the other 60 percent are backpackers, predominantly from Taiwan.
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Ms Wells said if the federal government doesn't intervene now, she won't be able to plant her crop.
"We need the seasonal island workforce and we need government to help us," Ms Wells said.
Queensland Farmers Federation CEO, Georgina Davis claimed that in Queensland they were working with the state government to "bring in and safely quarantine lots more workers".
Right now there are about 7000 unfilled vacancies across the state.
The lack of pickers could drastically drive up prices at shops. 9News
Growers would love to see the jobs filled by Queenslanders, but they're just not applying.
Some farmers are giving in - cutting down trees and dumping thousands of dollars worth of fruit.
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Wholesalers predict the impact will ultimately bite at the checkout.
Founder of Big Michael's Fruit and Vegetables, Peter Marinos, said as domestic supplies shrink, prices will increase.
He warned prices for berries, tomatoes, carrots, and citrus fruits could go up 30 percent.
"We are coming into the citrus season starting in Bundaberg," he said.
"If we don't get around 50,000 workers in those corridors, we are going to be paying extreme prices."
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