I worked picking pears in 1974 in the Shepparton area, not because I was a backpacker but because I was desperate to find work. Well, never again: the accommodation I had I wouldn't put a dog in a hovel like that. Then someone recommended Ardmona to me and what a difference! Like day and night! They were humane, even had a rostered cook. They showed compassion toward their workers and had people coming back to work for them year after year. And accommodation was spartan but clean without bedbugs and well-run. Bless their hearts and may they prosper!

Backpacker Exploitation
If as said it is backpacker exploitation to work in primary industry
Then what about the Aussies that have worked in the industry for decades they get the same pay as the backpackers

Up here in the Lockyer Valley the shed workers look down on the cutters, the truck drivers look down on the shed workers etc.

What they all don't see if not for the cutters that harvest the crops there would be no shed workers

If not for the shed workers there would be no truck drivers taking the product to market

With out the truck drivers there would be a lot less servo workers and mechanics etc etc

All the way up to the ones at the top, The Executives earning the multi million dollar pay packets

A cutter earns approx $18.50 per hour worked no sick pay no holiday pay no company car etc etc

This has been going on for many decades now so EXPLOITATION what do you call what is going on with the Aussies

Primary Industry is called that because you don't eat without this sector that's why I say let the Executives in the big offices have thier money but don't sell them the food and see if they get fat on eating the money it is time that we shared the system a little better

Thanks have a good life from Dave

When we start paying farmers a decent price for their produce there will be less reason for them to pay the absolute minimum wages. Most farmers are struggling to make a living for their families these days and it doesn't look like getting any better soon, particularly when the big supermarkets are importing so much cheap food.

David (ex farmer/farmer's son)

I am basically in agreement Mike Pope, but let us remember two things. Every year on the Granite Belt where I live, farming land is taken out of production, because the farmers are no longer able to get a profitable price for growing fruit and vegetables. They would prefer to employ young Australians, not backpackers, but the young people of Australia would rather collect unemployment benefits than live like backpackers.
Everything Mike says about collusion between hostels or caravan parks and farmers does happen. The backpackers who get caught in this situation are those who do not own a car and are reliant on the hostel to take them to work.
Four years ago, as a guest house licensed to take 18 guests, I began offering my accommodation to Korean backpackers, the group I considered the most exploited by the harvest situation during the summer months. I do not offer transport. Koreans, as couples or four travelling together, purchase a shared car. I refer the backpackers to JSA Stanthorpe office, although some farmers now request me to supply them with small teams of workers because they have found the Korean backpackers to be reliable workers. Since the first year I have always had a number of backpackers returning to stay with me and they know the farms where they wish to work.
As Mike says, word of the best value for money has spread among backpackers, all of whom are computer literate, most of whom have mobile phones and can readily contact each other. Happy Korean backpackers have seen to it that our guest house is now listed in the Korean version of The Lonely Planet hand book. In the last week I have had to refuse accommodation to four car loads of Korean backpackers wishing to stay here as my guest house won’t be open as a backpacker hostel until December.

VK3AUU
David,
When they took the right from a farmer to supply a home, meat, electricity, somewhere to grow a few vegies etc and made all this fringe benefit and taxable that is when the farmer started the downhill spiral.
When I first moved here in 2001 the farmers and workers used to eat the seconds, in the last 12 months the farmers are telling the workers to eat the market product because the farmer just ain't getting what the product is worth
Further the farmer has overdrafts that they pay the workers a weekly wage from but the farmers can wait up to 3 months to get payment for thier product
The whole show with the rural sector is a mess

Thanks have a good life from Dave

Well said David, I think it might be a good idea if our Mr Pope aimed his care & concern at some of his own, rather than the backpackers, who are using the farmer every bit as nuch as they are used. Quite often the small crop farmer won't get a cent back, for those wages paid. For a trained economist he has a poor grip of the costs of farming.

One organic farmer neighbour of mine gave up, & went truck driving, after a six week period, when the price he got for his produce, [realy nice stuff] was not enough to pay for the cartons it was packed in, & the cost of the freight to market. He'd spent 7 years building the organic productivity of that farm.

A tomato grower I know in Bundaberg told me why he can't take a holiday, because of how his income works.

For about a month each year, he gets a bill from the markets, when the cost of dumping his unsold stuff exceeds the sale price for what was sold.

For a couple of months, the income does not cover freight & packaging.

For about 3 months, the income covers most of his costs, but he is still loosing money.

For another 3 months, he is making a little money, but nothing like what's required to pay for his losses.

For the other 3 months, generally because of someone else's misfortune with crop losses, due to weather, prices are sky high, & he makes a really good proffit.

With luck, this pays for earlier losses, & a bit more. Last year was so good, he made enough for a new tractor, a 6 person harvesting rig, & 25 acres of replacment trellising.

He must have a crop producing at all times, or he may miss that good patch, & no one can predict just when it will be.

Perhaps Mike hasn't noticed, teacher aids, at the local high school, have the same pay, & conditions as a fruit picker, perhaps he should shed a few tears at the high school.