NORTH COAST HORTICULTURAL INDUSTRY STUDY

NORTH COAST NSW PRODUCTION HORTICULTURE

INDUSTRIES STUDY

• The Study undertaken by TAFE North Coast Institute & and funded by the Federal Government via Agrifood Skills Australia initiated research into the Horticultural industry.

• Industries involved included Avocado, Banana, Blueberries & Macadamias on the NSW North Coast (Kempsey to QLD Border).

• Over the course of the study the salad vegetable sector (tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum etc) was added as a fifth sector of interest.

• The aim was to identify gaps in horticultural skills & training.

• Understand which of these gaps are industry specific or general.

• Identify current labour requirements & shortages & map seasonal employment factors.

• Enhance profitability in the sectors involved.

THE AIM OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

Avocadoes10%

Bananas10%

Blueberries20%

Macadamia40%

Other20%

What is your major crop?(n=102)

COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

• This study involved two separate waves of research: • A short (+/-10 minute) online survey of horticulturists. This was

conducted in August/September 2014, and completed by 2104 growers and industry figure.

• A longer (+/- 30 minute) telephone interviews of 25 growers

and industry figures.

THE GRAPHIC BELOW SHOWS SOME OF THE MAJOR ISSUES OR CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE STUDY – BOTH

CROP-SPECIFIC, AND THOSE WHICH ARE COMMON TO ALL OR MOST CROPS.

* Labour shortages at peak harvest season * Finding new markets* Loss of skills due to high churn * Finding new products/niches

* HR/Awards/paperwork * Fruit handling* Huge jump in supply * Diversification to other crops (L-T effect on price?) * Agronomy/over-use of fertilizers * Finding next gen of growers

* Marketing/branding/social media* Raising productivity

* Organic options* Clean/green/environmental issues

*Lack of skilled staff in areas * Sharing of machinery and labour * Value-adding such as working with heights * Adding value * Export machinery maintenance *Machinery operation and and pruning maintenance

Common to most or all:

Blueberries Bananas

Avocadoes Macadamias

HEAT MAP OF LABOUR

Crop Action Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Soil preparationPlantingIrrigationPruningHarvestingRemoving old plantsPests and disease control

Blueberries

SUMMARY OF KEY CONCLUSIONS - LABOUR

• Labour needs are obviously crop-specific, with blueberry farmers facing the greatest demand for harvesting labour and macadamia farmers the least.

• There is healthy demand across all sectors for skilled and semi-skilled workers, due to blueberries and bananas being largely counter-seasonal to avocadoes and macadamias, this requirement is relatively consistent across the year.

• Although famers are comfortable using backpackers and other labour types (e.g. WOOFers), there is interest in a shared labour pool of semi-skilled locals, ideally available on a daily contract basis.

Labour continued

• Industry associations could educate their growers on the Harvest Trail, and/or consider collaborating to create their own “North Coast” harvest Trail.

• They may also wish to consider, as a collective group, local promotion to specific labour types – e.g. empty-nesters.

SUMMARY OF KEY CONCLUSIONS - SKILLS

• There appears to be some apathy towards skill training. This may be due to lack of interest, or perhaps lack of a compelling offering from training providers.

• To break through, marketing for training needs to highlight direct financial or compliance benefit. Ideally, such training should also be at least partially crop-specific. TAFE is well trusted, and hence well placed to deliver this.

Skills continued

• Topics of greatest interest include agronomy, correct use of fertilizers, organics, pest management, and anything which promises to boost farm productivity or lower input costs. Again, the most crop-specific, the better.

• Accounting, HR, payroll, award and related paperwork training should also be popular among smaller growers, and do not need to be crop-specific.

• Short, practical courses and field days were deemed of greatest value. For longer courses, growers preferred these to be stretched over time to avoid disruption to daily farm activities.

SUMMARY OF KEY CONCLUSIONS - MARKETING

• Among smaller growers, there is very little (if any) marketing being done. Some brand their packaging, but that’s about it.

• The use of social media as a cost-effective marketing tool may attract interest, given that some small growers are already using this to good effect

• Banana and blueberry growers face specific marketing challenges. The former need to find new niche varieties and/or diversification options, while the latter are encountering a period of dramatic supply growth.

POSSIBLE LABOUR MODEL STRATEGY

Level Examples of CompetencyContract

Rate*

1 - Picker

Picking skills

$30 ph?Handling fruitWorking with heightsWork readyBasic OH&S

2- Semi-skilled worker

Safe Use of Chemicals

$45 ph?

PruningBasic hydroponicsUse of fertilizersBasic pest and disease controlBasic mechanical maintenance skillsOthers?

3 - Assistant/locum manager

HR and payroll$300 per

day?MYOBBasic managementOthers?

FEEDBACK & DISCUSSION

• DO YOU THINK THE ‘HEAT MAP’ IS A GOOD INDICATION OF LABOUR USE

• HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT A ‘SHARED LABOUR POOL’ PROGRAM TO ASSIST WITH SUPPLY - WHAT RATES WOULD BE SUSTAINABLE

• WHAT OTHER MAJOR CHALLENGES WITH LABOUR/SKILLS HAVE NOT BEEN COVERED

• HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE INDUSTRY SKILLS FUND BEING LAUNCHED 2015