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Berry prices skyrocket while farmers get creative to lure workers
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The price of berries has skyrocketed after a cool summer, while farmers are so desperate to attract workers amid international border closures, they are offering cash prizes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Blueberries are selling for up to $12 in Brisbane amid a shortage.
The price of a punnet of blueberries has soared to up to $12 in Brisbane in recent weeks, while strawberries cost up to $8.
Working holiday makers once picked up to 80 per cent of Queensland’s strawberries, but international border closures have shut out backpackers and other migrant workers.
Been looking for a final bit of inspiration to work on one of the region s farms? Strawberries Queensland has taken an out-of-the-box approach and is offering a prize draw for those willing to roll up their sleeves and help with the berry season. The promotion, which is an industry first, offers a chance to win up to $100,000 in cash prizes, with 10 $100,000 cash prizes on the table. Strawberries on the SSS farm. Queensland Strawberry Growers Association (QSGA) president Adrian Schultz said international working holiday maker numbers were down a whopping 79,000 from this time last year, with about 1000 leaving Australia s shores each week.
Working on one of these five Bundy farms could win you $100k cqnews.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cqnews.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Subscriber only Granite Belt strawberry farmers are hanging their hopes for the upcoming season on an industry-first incentive to attract desperately needed seasonal workers to the region. The new initiative from the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association will give new employees the opportunity to accrue points while working on farms across the state from April to October this year. All participants will then be in with the chance to take home a $100,000 cash prize at the end of the season. QSGA president Adrian Schultz said COVID travel bans had dealt a devastating blow to all producers reliant on seasonal workers to pick and pack their crops each year, with only a handful remaining of the usual 70,000 required for the winter harvest.