General
Vegetable growers forced to dump $150,000 worth of celery crops due to picker shortage
Vegetable growers in Victoria’s Lindenow Valley have had to dump $150,000 worth of celery crops due to a drastic shortage of seasonal workers caused by the COVID-19 travel bans.
Key points:
- A Gippsland vegetable grower has dumped a crop because it could not be harvested in time
- The Victorian Government is under pressure to allow seasonal workers into Australia
- Growers have offered to charter flights and cover quarantine costs to secure pickers in time for harvest
The crops have to be picked within a short timeframe to meet supermarket certification, but COVID-19 travel bans have led to a drastic shortage of backpackers and pickers from the Pacific Islands.
Growers have offered to charter flights and pay for on-farm quarantine themselves, but…
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