DESPITE dire predictions on the impact of COVID-induced labour shortages, Australian horticulture has actually increased production with less workers.
Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) survey results released in December 2022 indicate farms have adapted to the constrained labour supply.
The total number of workers used by Australian horticulture farms decreased by around 20 per cent (29,300 workers) over the past three years, mainly due to a decrease in overseas working holiday makers.
This was a decrease from a monthly average of 146,200 workers in 2019-20 to 116,900 workers in 2021-22.
This decrease was largely driven by a 66pc decrease (23,900 workers) in overseas contract workers, mostly working holiday makers.
ABARES executive director Dr Jared Greenville said over the same period, horticulture production has increased by around 3pc, with farms adapting to constrained labour supply by finding ways to improve productivity, making greater use of capital equipment in the place of labour, along with increasing hours worked by employees.
"Farmers have looked to non-labour means of bringing the harvest in," Dr Greenville said.
"Around 40 per cent of horticulture farmers have used machinery, like fruit picking machines, to help with the harvest.
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"Others have altered crop plantings for a longer peak harvest.
"Large farms accounted for the almost all of the decrease in horticulture labour use over the last three years, and the largest farms also had the most difficulty recruiting.
Victoria had the highest percentage of farms experiencing recruitment difficulty (70pc) and South Australia had the lowest percentage (48pc).
"Labour use increased on Australian broadacre farms between 2018-19 and 2020-21, driven by improved seasonal conditions and higher production," Dr Greenville said.
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