Lindenow Valley farmer Kane Busch relies on more than a dozen migrant workers each year to harvest his broccoli, beetroot and cabbage.
But as migration becomes a political football, there is concern about what the future holds.
The debate on cutting immigration numbers may have been triggered by One Nation, with the Coalition bringing up the rear, but Labor is in power.
And in mid-September, Federal Immigration Minister Tony Burke announced the government would implement new limits on the Working Holiday Maker visa by introducing quotas for second and third year visa extensions.
But Mitchell River farmer Busch is “already experiencing lengthy delays in visas at the moment” for his pickers.
“[It’s] particularly concerning. Our 13 guys are due to come over in two weeks' time, but they haven't even got the visas yet to be granted. We're just waiting and hoping.”
Busch said there wasn’t a pool of local workers available to fill the number of jobs required.
Rows of vegetables at Busch Organics. Image supplied by Busch Organics.
What happened: Minister Burke said at a press conference the measures would help the government cut overseas migration by 75,000 per year.
Labor’s cuts are dwarfed by One Nation’s proposal to slash over 750,000 temporary visas over three years if it formed government.
“Horticulture relies on a lot of backpackers and migrant workers entering the country, and I think their visas are going to be hit the hardest,” Busch said.
Koo Wee Rup farmer Maurie Cafra told the Monitor he relies on 14 migrant workers each spring to harvest the roughly eight tonnes of asparagus his business produces per hectare.
“There's no way to mechanically harvest asparagus, every spear has to be cut individually. It's a very hard, back-breaking job. Labour is by far our biggest expense and concern.”
Cafra is worried cuts and changes to Australia’s migration program numbers will result in fewer pickers.
“Someone needs to harvest the crops in order for everyone to eat. If there's not enough workers, the price goes up, and it's already a very expensive crop to harvest and pack.”
Michael Coote, CEO of horticulture industry peak body AUSVEG, said in a statement the group “implores all sides of politics to find workable solutions for industry so that vegetable growers do not become collateral damage in the populist rush to cut migration to the country”.
Maurie and Maria Cafra at their Koo Wee Rup farm. Image provided by Cafresco Organics.
From hardship
Cafra and Busch primarily source workers through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, which lets businesses hire workers from nine Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste on temporary visas.
Busch is hopeful there will be no changes to the PALM scheme, as he thinks it does a lot of good.
“They're often coming from places where communities are experiencing hardship,” he said. “In Vanuatu, there's always another weather event like a cyclone around the corner. Their wage helps them rebuild their own homes and assist in building other homes in the community. It's very important money.”
Backpackers wanted
At John Baldwin’s eight-hectare apple orchid on the banks of the Mitchell River in West Bairnsdale, backpackers are crucial to getting the fruit off the trees and into shops and supermarkets.
He told the Monitor the transient nature of the work was an ideal fit for young travellers and those who own seasonal farms.
“Our annual workload spikes so much in the harvest period, and they're happy to work for a three to four-week period and then move on. It works well for our business.”