To counter the trend, the State Government last week announced it would give Fruit Growers Tasmania $10,000 for a targeted online campaign.Tasmania's Primary Industries Minister, Jeremy Rockliff, said the campaign would send a message to backpackers overseas that Tasmanian farms are "open for business," as well as targeting workers closer to home.
"The campaign will be providing messages to local employees as well, in terms of the benefits and availability of work on many farms, orchards and fruit growing areas across Tasmania," he said.
Fruit Growers Tasmania Business Development Manager, Phil Pyke, said attracting more locals to harvesting work would give growers access to a sustained workforce."There is a job, potentially a career, in the production and horticultural sector, and that's what we want to open the gateway to," Mr Pyke said.
Mr Pyke said the online campaign would begin as soon as possible, with the focus being on a website, as well as social media.
With backpacker enquiries already down approximately 40 per cent on previous years, however, he said there was concern the campaign was already too late.
Reid Fruits Managing Director, Tim Reid, said he would normally have received 2,000 enquiries for the cherry season by now, but has instead received just 600.With 600 positions to fill over December and January, Mr Reid said those figures were "quite frightening," as only about 30 per cent of inquirers usually followed through to employment.
