Retired farmers needed to help sow winter cereal crops

Ongoing labour shortages are impacting the cropping sector, as the winter cereal planting gets underway.

Grain growers rely on backpackers to supplement their harvest workforce, but like many other sectors it has been difficult to source the extra help.

Some have even had to ask retired farmers to lend a hand.

Keith Bird has started sowing canola into dry soil, on his property at Wychitella near Boort in Central Victoria this week and it was all hands on deck without the usual back-up from…