Strawberry Farmers hit by CoVid
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Farmer loses $200,000 worth of strawberries after workforce tests positive to COVID-19
Smashastrawbs owner Paul Da Silva on his strawberry farm in Manjimup, WA. (ABC South West WA: Georgia Hargreaves) Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article abc.net.au/news/strawberry-farmer-loses-200k-as-pickers-go-into-covid-isolation/100977738
A West Australian strawberry farmer is calling for changes to the state's COVID-19 isolation rules after he had to let $200,000 worth of fruit rot, as his entire workforce tested COVID-positive.
Key points:
- Paul Da Silva is calling for isolation rules to be softened to allow asymptomatic staff in some industries to work if they wish
- The WA government says it strongly opposes this idea
- Vegetables WA says "practical steps" need to be taken to allow businesses to operate with confidence
With no healthy workers left after more than 40 staff contracted COVID-19 in the same week, Manjimup grower Paul Da Silva said he had no choice but to dump his produce.
He said he was frustrated to see the fruit left to rot while his workforce was stuck in isolation, as many staff were asymptomatic and fit to work on his property.
"They wanted to come to work and they needed the money … but when they had the whole week off, they earned no money," he said.
"We abide by the rules and they all stayed [in isolation] and all the fruit went on the floor."
Mr Da Silva is frustrated at having to let good fruit go to waste.(ABC South West WA: Georgia Hargreaves)
Mr Da Silva said there was only a small window to harvest strawberries before they perished.
He believed the situation was not just about strawberries, but rather the bigger picture of horticultural production in WA.
"It's everything that is labour intensive — so any type of horticultural crop and any type of manufacturing," he said.
"It's all going to increase in price.
"This is just going to keep happening … we won't be increasing in size anytime soon, we just don't have the confidence."
Mr Da Silva said the current isolation rules and restrictions did not create an environment where businesses were confident to invest in the future.
Mr Da Silva says isolation requirements are affecting his confidence in the future of his business. (ABC South West WA: Georgia Hargreaves)
Price pressures rise
Vegetables WA acting chief executive Manus Stockdale said it had been a challenging time for growers, who were already experiencing difficulty accessing labour, as well as the increase in costs of transport, fuel and fertiliser.
"I think the prices have to increase … to offset the increased costs that growers have been absorbing in order to produce fruit and vegetables," he said.
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"Normalising our management of COVID and how it's treated is something that's a health consideration rather than something for us to be suggesting.
"But there needs to be practical steps around how you continue to work and give growers — and everyone — the confidence to operate and get on with business."
He said authorities would need to be "really cautious" about making any changes that would potentially allow pickers with COVID-19 to work.
"I suppose you could make the case for COVID-positive asymptomatic workers to work but when that's been tried in other states, there's been pushback from the customer — the retailers — about supply from businesses that are doing that," he said.
Mr Stockdale also said it was likely WA growers would consider planting smaller crops next season, to help manage the rising costs of production.
This could mean a tighter supply of WA-grown produce in the near future.
The state government says it is not appropriate to allow COVID-positive people to handle food.(ABC News: James Carmody)
Business assistance on offer
A spokesperson for the state government said it recognised the challenges the Omicron outbreak created for businesses, and had therefore introduced five separate business assistance packages since December.
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They said the government was strongly against the prospect of people working while sick with COVID-19.
"We cannot have a situation where COVID-positive people are having contact with food, which will ultimately be delivered to supermarkets and into people's homes," they said.
"The McGowan government has worked closely with the agriculture sector over the past two years to keep people safe and protect thousands of local jobs."
The spokesperson did not provide any indication as to when, or if, restrictions and isolation requirements would be relaxed.
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G'day/evening Waykwabu...
Nice to see a fellow Aussie on board...I am located in Victoria...
They aren't a bad mob on here...most have a sense of humour and if they don't well...they will learn.
Oh and occasionally you may have to translate as our everyday expressions tend to create abit of confusion..
Above all have fun, enjoy and don't take it to seriously...🦘🐨🇦🇺🐊🦈
Hi Shona,
I'm on the shore of Port Phillip Bay, the dog loves taking for walkies, she never tires of it, she's fitter than I am.
Evening again..
Ripper a fellow Victorian..even better..
I also live by the sea as well over near the SA border..
Use to have a Scotch Collie but lost her 2 years ago...she loved the sea as I do.. went for a walk along the beach this arvo..
Round about this time of night all the yanks are snoring so it is usually Buzz..he is a Canadian and lives in China and I on the air..
Have a great evening and enjoy...have we crossed paths before?? Your name for some reason sounds familiar..
Welcome and glad to see you posting!
Interesting story about the strawberry crop. It seems that covid has had a lot of unforeseen fallout.
Welcome to Waykwabu ! I hope you enjoy Newstalkers.
Interesting article, when I saw Manjimup I almost fell out of my chair. I have numerous photos of my daughter her family and my wife and me in Manjimup and Bridgetown which is just up the road. She had a house right on the Margaret River. She has since moved to Perth and all the kids/grandkids moved to NSW.
We've attended the Bridgetown Blues Festival a number of times.
I would suspect that the vineyards of WA are having the same labor problem.
Welcome aboard Waykwabu.
Happy to welcome to NT another member from this side of the world - makes it easier to keep NT alive and ticking while most members are asleep.
That is a very interesting article. Recently I read an article about which foods need the most careful washing before eating, and strawberries were the most vulneable ones on the list. The article indicated that they were the most likely to be coated in pesticides, but being handled by covid-positive pickers (even asymptomatic persons can spread the virus) is certainly at least as important a reason. However, surely not all fruit-pickers looking for work are infected, but then I suppose they are so much in demand there were none available for this farmer.
It was puzzling to see on the photos with the article - one indicating virtually every person properly masked, yet the farmer himself and the meat processing workers were not, and according to the article it was the covid-positive meat processing workers who were allowed to handle the meat. Perhaps it depended on when the photos were taken.
Morning Buzz... WA was about 6 months behind the rest of the country getting the virus..they closed the border and had all the quarantine etc in place as they could see what was coming.
The Eastern half of the country is back to normal and the West is still going through the process.
Yes as you said depends when and where the photo was taken. The only place masks are now required is public transport, hospitals etc... otherwise there are no restrictions and flights have now resumed between us and NZ and the international borders are also open. Just had 420,000 at the Grand prix down Melbourne over three days so yes life goes on.
Most people are fully vaccinated and a fourth dose now available. But as we head into winter will be a case of waiting and seeing what happens...
Proper cooridinated management by government plus common sense on the part of the people proves to be the only effective and sensible way to wrest the covid dragon to compliance. Strawberries are one of my most favourite fruits/berrys - I'm enjoying them here now, and it's sad to see all those delicious strawberries going to fallow.
Waykwabu, welcome to NT. I love Strawberries