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Shoppers could soon see more vegetables hit their supermarket shelves as international workers flood back into Australia.
Key points:
- International workers are returning to Bowen, a major winter horticulture region
- More workers and good growing conditions mean produce such as tomatoes could be in higher supply
- Farmers say they're hoping to see strong demand for fruit and vegetables
Backpackers and holiday-makers are returning in full force to the north Queensland town of Bowen, which is a key supplier of Australian vegetables.
Vee Jay's Kalfresh chief executive Jamie Jurgens said his produce business was already fully staffed and he would need to turn away new workers.
It was a big shift away from the previous few years, when the industry was facing crippling labour shortages as a result of the pandemic.
"During COVID, we didn't have backpackers or holiday-makers here," Mr Jurgens said.
He said growers had taken steps to introduce Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme workers to fill the labour gap.
Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network north Queensland officer Colette Williams said it had left growers in a good position.
"We've had a massive influx of working holiday-makers and backpackers coming into the region," she said.
"The community is starting to really feel alive."
Ms Williams said the influx also stemmed from an ambitious campaign to draw more workers to north Queensland.
The Pick Paradise initiative was first launched in September last year to coincide with the region's mango harvest but it was then relaunched in April in the lead up to the winter vegetable harvest.
"We are just approaching our peak season, so there will always be the need to continue to have that workforce readily available, so the Pick Paradise campaign will continue throughout the entire season," Ms Williams said.
Produce on the rise
Bowen agronomist Jessica Volker said the return of an international workforce, along with a good season, meant there could be a bumper fruit and vegetable crop this year.
She said there were going to be a lot of tomatoes and chillies in production.
Ms Volker said shoppers could also see prices coming down.
"But I do hope that means that they will buy more, because that will really support the growers," she said.
Mr Jurgens says it wouldn't be long until shoppers could get their hands on more of their favourite fresh foods.
"We're probably two to three weeks off seeing reasonable volumes coming out of the area … things are looking positive," he said.
"Hopefully demand is good, [it's] on my wish list [for] people to want to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables."
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