The article by Steve Hutcheson in last week’s edition of The Advisor (Supply and demand, the problem with fruit pickers, 27/1) does not paint an entirely correct or fair view on fruit picking and similar activities in our region.
The various orchards, in general, do not engage pickers directly, but via an employment agency or agencies which specialise in providing pickers, and the pickers are paid by the agency and in many cases provide many of the facilities needed by the pickers.
The pay rates quoted may be true in some cases, but in reality, are rather rubbery as pickers are generally paid on the number of boxes picked, perhaps with a minimum wage.
If they are a fast and good picker, they will be paid considerably more than a slow picker. I know this from experience when I was out of work and many years younger. I was picking potatoes and when I started, I did not earn much, but as I got better at it, I earned a good wage, so don’t start and expect to be a gun picker on the first day.
It is hard, hot and tiring work, particularly if you are unused to the type of work, but it is fulfilling. After a while you will be fit and be in your prime to play in the football team later in the year.
We have our Pacific Island friends come into Australia to help with fruit picking and other agricultural activities, and this assists us as well as them as their countries are suffering particularly at the moment as there is no tourism to speak of because of COVID-19.
If our State Government had had any foresight, they would have listened to the agricultural industry several months ago and made ways available for Pacific Islanders to come from their largely Coronavirus-free countries to Australia.
As it is, because there are too few people to adequately pick the fruit, we will be whinging because either fruit and vegetables are increasingly too expensive or there is insufficient to go around.
Those who are physically able should give it a go. There are many who are not particularly fit who do many of these tasks. They do not manufacture some excuse why they can’t do the jobs.
Don’t be like the model quoted in Steve’s article who would not get out of bed unless she was paid some exorbitant fee. Jobkeeper and Jobseeker I know has caused several people to be downright lazy.
It is not a demeaning job, it may not sound flash but tradies these days tend to earn more than the ones in prestigious jobs.
Rodney Champness
Mooroopna
