South-west Victorian farms are being inundated with requests for jobs from backpacker workers, in a change of fortune after longstanding labour shortages.
Dairy farmers are fielding calls from backpackers who have stayed in Australia but lost their employment as industries such as hospitality and tourism shut due to coronavirus.
Koroit dairy farmer Oonagh Kilpatrick said she employed French chef Fabien Duboeuf after backpackers had approached her "like mad".
Mr Duboeuf was head chef at Melbourne's French Brasserie in Flinders Lane and is now seeing a different side of the food industry as he helps to milk cows at Ms Kilpatrick's dairy.
"These guys have no work ... they have come in under working holiday visas and now find themselves stuck because they have no restaurant jobs," Ms Kilpatrick said.
"The backpackers had been really proactive looking for work. I would have thought we'd have Australian workers."
She said Mr Duboeuf was isolated on the farm and mowed lawns for some days before joining the other workers.
"They know they are not going to get any handouts ... and they can't get home because the flights are at extortionist cost," Ms Kilpatrick said.
"He will see the dairy products he works with. To me it's an education. He certainly might not like how he smells at the end of the day.
"It is good provided they accept that it is going to be tough."
WestVic Dairy executive officer Lindsay Ferguson said some expected backpackers hadn't arrived in Australia because of travel bans, but others were out of work and able to "balance out" labour shortages.
"At the minute I believe we are better off than we have been for a long time. But it is only a temporary situation," Mr Ferguson said.
Food Industry People Group's Darren Basford said the labour hire company was aware of up to 30 jobs available in the south-west mostly in the meat processing and dairy industries.
Meanwhile, a Coles spokesman said the company was was looking for 1500 workers statewide, and had employed 25 new staff in the south-west.
A Woolworths spokesman said the supermarket had employed 40 more people in south-west Victoria but was no longer seeking further applications.
Jackson Graham
Jackson is a reporter for The Standard.
Jackson is a reporter for The Standard.
