Faced with a shortage of workers due to border lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelvin Jackson, of Hazel Park in South Gippsland, had a worker shortage.
Kelvin recently sold surplus cows at the same sale as Grant and Sheryl Hosking, at Koonwarra VLE on October 17. His cows sold to $3300.
Kelvin said he had too many cows for the ongoing wet conditions.
He has also seen the trend for farmers to sell and leave the dairy industry.
“There’s more farmers selling and getting out of the industry than are coming into the industry,” he said.
“I hope for the industry’s sake it picks up.”
Kelvin’s herd is split-calving and he uses sexed semen to join the cows, which gives him a lot of heifers twice a year.
In recent years his focus has been on raising the heifers to 12 months old and selling the entire drop to the export market.
In the last couple of years, Kelvin realised he was reliant on backpacker labour, which wasn’t a sustainable business model for his farm. Along with a long-term farm worker, Jessie, and his son, Alan, more labour units were needed.
Kelvin explored the opportunity offered by overseas workers and now has a man and woman from the Phillipines, Darlene and Jun, working on the farm.
Key to the success of employing people is housing. Kelvin provides houses on the farm for all his workers. His next move is to build himself a new home and provide his existing abode for Darlene and Jun, who are sharing accommodation with Jessie.
“I’ve used backpacker labour for many years, but with COVID lockdowns there were no backpackers coming into Australia and that exposed us,” Kelvin said.
“We weren’t sustainable.
“Darlene arrived last year, and Jun came across this year. It cost a lot of money in airfares and fees and hotel quarantine, but at the end of the day they each have four-year visas. It’s been a very good decisions and I hope they stay permanently.”
Kelvin said farmers tended to believe workers could contribute as much time to the farm as themselves, because they worked long hours themselves. But he said this expectation was wrong.
“It’s a challenge to find people who want to dairy farm. There’s a lot of work involved but everyone in dairy gets paid well,” he said.
“You the farmer have to communicate well and apply good work practices.
“When I interview people, I talk to them about the potential to have a farming career, it’s not just a job that’s a stepping stone to the future.
“I think you have to sell a career in the industry. It won’t be for everyone.
“Some people want to work the hours and get paid. Others want to learn and progress. Either way is fine.
“As farmers we need to realise that just because we’ve done the hard yards, we shouldn’t expect it of other people.
“It’s my farm and I’m employing people. If I get the people issues right, invest in and encourage people, I think you’ll be successful as an employer.”