Apple and pear producers across Australia and New Zealand have struggled to workers for harvest during the current season - with some growers seeing inquiries down by 70%.
However, one small Pacific nation is taking advantage of this labour gap by increasingly supplying workers to fruit and vegetable farms in Tasmania.
Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) is one of the world’s most remote countries, located roughly halfway between Australia and Hawaii. With a history of involvement in labour migration through the local maritime industry, the country joined the Australian Government’s Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) in 2010.
Since 2008 Kiribati has sent seasonal workers to New Zealand’s horticulture industry and in 2010 initially sent 11 workers to Australia. In 2017 these numbers increased to 124 across the tourism and agriculture sectors.
Currently the workers are located on farms in Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria – and feedback indicates they are providing the much needed stabilised workforce.
OneHarvest employs around 900 people across Australia on farms and in factories producing value-added salad products. In Tasmania they grow 'baby leaf' spinach, rocket and lettuce; the principal ingredients for packaged salad products.
Kiribati workers in the fields at One Harvest
David Linley, farm manager at OneHarvest in Richmond, Tasmania is strongly supportive of his Kiribati workforce.
"From my experience, Kiribati seasonal workers are some of the best workers I have seen in the whole time I’ve been doing this type of work", David said.
"The work ethic of the guys is far superior to anyone I’ve had before. We have them picking, packing and hand weeding as well as doing other jobs including machine operators and forklift drivers."
"They always meet our targets. Next year we will be getting them back again and as the business expands numbers will be increased."
Amy Field of Southern Fields
Southern Fields is small family-run farm growing lettuce for Woolworths in Tasmania. The farm produces over two million lettuce each year and cauliflowers in winter.
‘We have around 10 full-time Australian staff members and over the summer season we double in size," said Amy Field.
"We chose the Programme because we have the security of having workers here for six months so we do not have to keep retraining them as we must do with backpackers."
"And we also have the option of Kiribati workers coming back each season."
"Kiribati workers have a good work ethic, pick up manual tasks quickly and they really work hard."
"Targets are set for them including how many pallets of lettuce they pick in a day, and they have broken every record here and just keep breaking them."
A Kiribati worker at Hillwood Berries
Hillwood Berries in Tasmania joined the Program four years ago, through a labour hire company in the first year, before becoming a SWP Approved Employer themselves, through the Department of Jobs and Small Business.
Hillwood Berries initially employed seasonal workers from Tonga before expanding to include workers from Timor-Leste and Kiribati.
"The Seasonal Worker Programme is a really wonderful labour resource. SWP workers coming back every season is a major plus," said Hillwood's Sue Williams.
"Less training is needed and in the second season the SWP workers hit the ground running from the day they arrive. They are dedicated and here under contract for six months. It has definitely helped to improve productivity on the farm."
"Now that the Department of Employment has made the process to become an SWP Approved Employer much simpler, Tasmanian farms are starting to come on board. The Programme is fantastic, it is a win-win for all’, Sue said.
Australian Government’s Seasonal Worker Programme
Department of Jobs and Small Business
Kiribati Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development
email:info@kiribatiemploymentsolutions.gov.ki or kes@labour.gov.ki Telephone +686 21097.