Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has ramped up the pressure on Victoria, demanding it allow thousands of seasonal workers to arrive to fix an acute labour shortage.
COVID-19 has devastated Australian industries heavily reliant on seasonal workers, particularly agriculture and hospitality, as the pandemic continues to stop overseas flights from entering.
A federal government scheme offering Australians $6000 to relocate for fruit-picking jobs has attracted less than 500 people, with the public warned to expect higher food prices as a result.
The crisis has left more than $38m worth of unpicked fruit and vegetables to rot, and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud conceded the government had struggled to entice Australians to the bush.
“Australians don’t want these types of jobs, I’ve got be honest. Even before COVID, farmers were struggling to incentivise workers to come out from Australia to do this,” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
The government has instead shifted focus…