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

Cuddling cows

OPINION: Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its cows and instead charge visitors to cuddle them.

Bikinis in cowshed

OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content posted on social media and adult entertainment subscription site OnlyFans.

Dairy unity

OPINION: A last-minute compromise ensured that the election of the new Federated Farmers national dairy chair wasn't a repeat of the Super 15 rugby final - Canterbury versus Waikato.

That old chestnut

OPINION: Just as it's healthy for cockies to get out of the shed and off the farm occasionally to get a fresh perspective, Milking It reckons some academics would benefit from spending a few days in the real world.

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Featured

Big return on a small investment

Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.

Editorial: Sensible move

OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Cuddling cows

OPINION: Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its…

Bikinis in cowshed

OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter