‘Crops may rot’, say farmers

By Zoe Morris

A shortage of skilled workers for harvest has Australian farmers looking down the barrel of a gun as many may be forced to watch crops rot come October.

According to the Australian Bureau of Agriculture, more than one-third of peak seasonal jobs on horticultural farms are filled by overseas workers and agriculture students.

Most farmers have been holding out for borders to open and the majority of their skilled workforce to return, but given its unlikeliness, many are now looking for a federal solution.