It gets hot in Australia – really hot! It can be dry heat, which is common in inland regions away from the coast, or it could be the humid heat of the lush tropics of Far North Qld and the Northern Territory. Temperatures can reach 45o C for dry heat, and 40 oC in humid […]
Author Archives: madec
It gets hot in Australia – really hot! It can be dry heat, which is common in inland regions away from the coast, or it could be the humid heat of the lush tropics of Far North Qld and the Northern Territory. Temperatures can reach 45o C for dry heat, and 40 oC in humid […]
It seems strange to say it, but “the good old days” when there were lots of backpackers looking for harvest work to get their visa extended are now long gone. The closure of international borders has seen a steady reduction in backpacker numbers remaining in the country. To put some perspective on this impact, in […]
Have you eaten a brassica lately? Do you know what brassicas actually are? A range of commonly eaten vegetables are members of the brassica family (more correctly the family Brassicaceae) including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. Leaves, flowers, seeds, roots…… An interesting fact about brassicas is that almost all parts of the plants can […]
Covid-19 – Update – For anyone looking for agriculture work It is now around five weeks since the COVID-19 outbreak lead to widespread changes to social interaction and travel in Australia. For anyone looking for agriculture work these changes have had a major impact on how much work is available, and whether you can travel […]
Coronavirus – should I be concerned? If you are not in an area where coronavirus is spreading, or have not travelled from an area where coronavirus is spreading, or have not been in contact with an infected patient, your risk of infection is low. Current status of the virus Since the first detection of unusual […]
Coronavirus – will it impact worker availability Since the first detection of unusual pneumonia cases in the Chinese port city of Wuhan on 31 December 2019, and subsequent identification of the novel coronavirus as the cause, the virus has rapidly spread. As of 5 March 2020, the outbreak has now been identified in 77 countries […]
Bowen – Fruit bowl of the north Looking for some harvest work in winter and want to enjoy some balmy, tropical ‘dry season’ weather at the same time? Bowen, in Far North Queensland, may be the place to go. Why Bowen? Named in 1861 by explorer George Elphinstone Dalrymple after the first Governor of Queensland, […]
HILA – a new tool to source skilled workers One of the biggest issues for horticulture growers is finding skilled and semi-skilled workers. Jobs such as truck, fork lift and tractor drivers, farm managers and mechanics can be hard to fill. The new Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement (HILA) allows growers to sponsor overseas workers with […]
Keeping up with changes to harvest labour options The last 12 months have seen many changes to the way harvest labour can be sourced and paid. Most of these changes have been good for growers with several programs expanded, new ones introduced and some red tape removed. However, other changes will mean growers need to […]