$30 a kilogram for tomatoes? Blame Queensland Health

That’s the dire warning from Bowen fruit and vegetable growers, who are predicting a massive shortfall in their picker numbers heading into winter.In 2020, there were 140,000 overseas backpackers in Australia but the 2021 number is predicted to be about 40,000.Bowen alone requires 3500 backpackers each year to harvest the annual horticultural haul, which has a net economic impact of $400 million on the North Queensland economy.The problem for consumers is that if this labour shortage isn’t…



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