Page 18 - Tropic Magazine Issue 28

TROPIC • AGRICULTURE

Raw deal

AVOCADO SEASON
Avocado growers on the “That’s the level of deficit we’re looking at. Avocados are usually
Atherton Tablelands have begun “Farmers are ringing them every day and the Tablelands’ most
harvesting what is predicted to there are just no workers available.” valuable crop, worth
be a record crop, however there Mr Kochi said he’s unable to fill the void $173 million annually.
with local workers and Australians have
are fears much of the bounty not responded to a $6,000 relocation Australians eat 3.8
will be wasted. incentive offered by the Federal kilograms of avocados
Government to get people on farms. per person per year.
Words: Renee Cluff Source: Mareeba Chamber of
Commerce, Avocados Australia
In a cruel twist of irony, the weather gods
have helped create a bumper avocado
crop in a season where there’s not enough
staff to pick and pack the fruit. This is a cyclone “Before COVID-19, growers had already
Tolga grower and Chairman of Avocados without the wind ordered seedlings and prepared their
Australia, Jim Kochi, has described the land, so there wasn’t an immediate
situation as a double-edged sword. and rain impact,” Mr Kochi said.
“We had a good flower set and fruit set for growers. “Do you think they’re going to take that
so unless some environmental disaster risk again this year?
happens, we’re going to have a record Jim Kochi “You could plant less, and you’d probably
crop,” he said. be better off.”
“But we have a critical shortage of labour.” He’s also concerned how current labour
Starting in February and finishing in The Seasonal Worker Program has also shortage will impact next year’s
June, the avocado harvest will not have proven problematic because of the high avocado crop.
access to holidaying student workers, costs and red tape involved with hiring “It has to be picked, you can’t leave it, even
as the mango crop did during its overseas workers, providing pastoral if you have to drop it on the ground,” Mr
Christmas harvest. care and accommodation, and satisfying Kochi said.
Mr Kochi said the industry usually relies numerous government regulations. “Avocados will keep draining the tree so if
on backpackers, but that cohort has Without immediate intervention, it’s you don’t get the fruit off the tree you lose
decreased by two thirds since COVID-19. feared Australia will face a food shortage. your production in the next year.”
“They’re all working on the eastern
seaboard in the cafes and why wouldn’t The Atherton, Mareeba and Dimbulah regions
you, it’s a lot easier,” he said. produced 26% of Australia’s avocados in 2019/20,
“Local backpackers lodges that would
usually have 100 people now have two sending off almost 23,000 tonnes of fruit.
Source: Avocados Australia
or three.

18 • Tropic • Issue 28