Wednesday, 18 August 2021 11:00

Battle for workers

Written by  Milking It

OPINION: A battle for the dwindling pool of farm workers is brewing between NZ and our Aussie 'mates'.

As peak lambing and calving seasons approach, farmers from across the ditch are aiming to poach our workers - with the official backing of their Government.

To subsidise the plundering of workers, the Australian Government is offering up to AU$2,000 in relocation assistance to Kiwi workers ad those with valid work visas to move across the ditch and work on farms in regional areas. In Victoria, this payment rises with a AU$2,430 bonus for eight weeks of work. Southland Federated Farmers sharemilker chairman Jason Herrick said these incentives, coupled with quicker pathways to family reunification were causing immigrant farmworkers to depart for either Australia or Canada.

Just what our labour constrained economy needs. Thanks cobbers!

More like this

'Bee wear' Simeon

OPINION: A keen pair of eyes wandering down the main street of the hub of the Horowhenua, Levin recently came across a 'pop up shop' designed to show locals the new toll road bypass from Otaki and past Levin.

Follow the leaders

OPINION: Farmers are urging Kiwi banks and their overseas parent companies to follow the lead of America's six biggest banks and urgently withdraw from the Net Zero Banking Alliance.

Bouquet for bank

OPINION: Groundswell has given ANZ a shout-out for, so far, being the only one of the big four Aussie-owned banks not to set emissions reduction targets for its dairy sector loan book.

Milking fish

OPINION: It could be cod on your cornflakes and sardines in your smoothie if food innovators in Indonesia have their way.

Featured

Ready to walk the talk

DairyNZ's Kirsty Verhoek ‘walks the talk’, balancing her interests in animal welfare, agricultural science and innovative dairy farming.

Dairy earnings bounce back

"We at Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and you at Dairy News said over six months ago that the dairy industry would bounce back, and it has done so with interest.”

$10 milk price still on

Whole milk powder prices on Global Dairy Trade (GDT) remains above long run averages and a $10/kgMS milk price for the season remains on the card, says ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown.

National

Machinery & Products

A JAC for all trades

While the New Zealand ute market is dominated by three main players, “disruptors” are never too far away.

Pushing the boundaries

Can-Am is pushing the boundaries of performance with its Outlander line-up of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) with the launch of the…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

'Bee wear' Simeon

OPINION: A keen pair of eyes wandering down the main street of the hub of the Horowhenua, Levin recently came…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter