www.abc.net.au /news/rural/2023-06-07/vegetable-production-boost-influx-international-workers-bowen/102406792

Major vegetable-growing region Bowen excited to see return of international workers

Ashleigh Bagshaw, Lucy Cooper3-4 minutes 6/7/2023

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.

Jamie Jurgens says farmers are welcoming the influx of workers.(ABC Rural: Ashleigh Bagshaw)

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.

A sign out the front of Mr Jurgens' farm reads "no labour required".(ABC Rural: Ashleigh Bagshaw)

"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.

Colette Williams says the region has worked hard to attract more workers.(ABC Rural: Ashleigh Bagshaw)

"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.

Jessica Volker predicts there will be a good supply of tomatoes and chillies.(ABC Rural: Ashleigh Bagshaw)

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."

www.abc.net.au /news/2023-05-13/livestock-prices-crash-cattle-and-sheep/102336382

Livestock prices fall sharply this week with 'red ink everywhere' for cattle and sheep producers

Matt Brann3-4 minutes 5/13/2023

Livestock prices fell sharply this week, as cattle and sheep numbers continued to pour into saleyards around the nation.

Key points:

• At one sale this week, light lambs sold for as little as $5 each, while the national mutton indicator has dropped 20 per cent
• The eastern young cattle indicator is down 48 per cent from a record high in early 2022
• One cattle producer says the biggest challenge is meat companies getting enough staff to process beef

At Deniliquin on Tuesday, livestock agents reported that "light lambs were treated harshly by buyers" with some small merino lambs selling for as low as $5 each, while the plainest sheep fetched between $8 and $62.

The national mutton indicator, which had been rising steadily since March, thanks to export demand from China, crashed this week by around 20 per cent.

'Reality check'

The cattle industry's benchmark, the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator (EYCI), is now 48 per cent down on its record high achieved in early 2022.

At the Herefords Australia National Show and Sale in Wodonga, the money on offer for quality bulls was also on the slide.

Ian and Anne Galloway from Cootharaba Herefords in Roma Queensland purchased the top-priced bull at $75,000.

The top price at last year's sale was $130,000.

The top-priced bull at this year's Herefords Australia National Show and Sale.(ABC Rural: Annie Brown)

"We've all seen the boom time and it was a sudden drop, which was a reality check for all of us," Mr Galloway said.

"I haven't sold many cattle as yet. I'm waiting for a bit of a lift in the market and I think that will come.

"Our biggest challenge is our meat companies are having trouble getting staff, so the whole industry has flattened off a bit."

Prices dropping under weight of supply

Meat and Livestock Australia's senior market analyst, Ripley Atkinson, said increased supply over two consecutive weeks was the major reason behind prices falling.

“Supply is the driving factor, and sustained numbers across all saleyards for two weeks has put prices under pressure," he said.

"After some strong seasons, numbers on farms have improved and buyers don't need to compete as heavily to access stock. They can be more selective."

In the cattle market, the previous week's national yarding was the highest since November 2020.

Mr Atkinson said demand from export markets remained very strong, though, with volumes of beef, lamb, mutton, and goat meat all up on this time last year.

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