fbpx
Print this page
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

It's all about economics

OPINION: According to media reports, the eye-watering price of butter has prompted Finance Minister Nicola Willis to ask for a 'please explain' from her former employer Fonterra.

Red line on dairy

OPINION: As India negotiates to open its borders to more global products, dairy is proving a sticky issue.

Farmland security

OPINION: Paranoia about foreigners is at an all-time high in the US and attention is now turning to foreign-owned farmland.

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.

Featured

AgriSIMA 2026 Paris machinery show cancelled

With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.

NZ tractor sales show signs of recovery – TAMA

As we move into the 2025/26 growing season, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that the third quarter results for the year to date is showing that the stagnated tractor market of the last 18 months is showing signs of recovery.

National

Machinery & Products

New pick-up for Reiter R10 merger

Building on experience gained during 10 years of making mergers/ windrowers, Austrian company Reiter has announced the secondgeneration pick-up on…

Krone EasyCut B1250 fold

In 2024, German manufacturer Krone introduced the F400 Fold, a 4m wide disc front mower, featuring end modules that hinge…