Workers from the Pacific Islands have brought much-needed relief to blueberry growers on the Coffs Coast, saving their crops from going to waste for a second year.
When COVID-19 hit and international travel was restricted, hardly any backpackers were around to pick fruit for the region's blueberry harvest last year.
Stephen Thandi, who runs a commercial blueberry farm at Woolgoolga, said the overseas worker shortage meant fruit was left on the trees to rot.
"Last year we went from 25 workers here every day down to about 12 people and that's where it really hurt," he said.
Mr Thandi is also a director of the region's largest berry cooperative, Oz Group Coop, which represents more than 150 farmers.
The cooperative has brought in hundreds of workers from Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands to fill the severe labour shortage under the Seasonal Worker Program.
"We have 211 seasonal workers currently amongst about 18 farmers," Mr Thandi said.
"They've been great, they've got great work ethics, they want to work, they're a minimal amount of headache, you tell them to do a job once they'll do it.
According to Berries Australia, there are about 700 seasonal workers in the region helping with this year's harvest. They include Pacific Islanders and other workers sourced through a labour-hire agency.
Win-win for workers
Daniel Jim James used to work as a delivery driver in Vanuatu, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit he lost work.
"Most of us lost jobs because we have a small economy … so, the opportunity to come here is very good for everyone," he said.
Mr James said when a post popped up on his Facebook feed advertising the opportunity to work on a farm in Australia, he applied immediately.
"I've already sent money home four times."
Like Mr James, Melissa Gale is also working in Australia to support her family back home in the Solomon Islands.
"I like working on the farm because it's a new experience for me," she said.
"I've learnt the skills to pick berries, I'm getting much better at it every day I work."
Ms Gale said the money she had made translated to good money back home.
Housing workers in a housing crisis
Mr Thandi said the pandemic meant meany hurdles had to be overcome in order to get the Pacific Islander workers to Coffs Harbour.
"We were actually supposed to have 300 [workers] come in but we were told only 211 were available," he said.
OzGroup's Seasonal Worker Program Manager Kylie Hoschke said due to the severe housing crisis in Coffs Harbour, the company faced yet another challenge.
"We have purchased backpacker accommodation, we've leased backpacker accommodation and our grower base has worked really hard on providing on-farm accommodation, too, for the workers," she said.
Ms Hoschke said OzGroup had invested big in the program because they wanted it to continue into the future.
"But our growers are really looking at growing their skills because we want to have them back as maintenance crew and supervisors in the future."
Ms Hoschke said that this year OzGroup partnered with employment agency MADEC to get the workers on their farms.
"OzGroup has a really good relationship with MADEC who sourced our workers," she said.
"But we've just been approved as an approved employer ourselves because we'll be looking at expanding the program.
