Asparagus harvest ramps up growers worry it could be speared by pandemic

Last year was a great year for Boeill Creek asparagus grower Wayne Stephens because his harvest continued until November â€" almost a month longer than usual.

Key points:

A NSW asparagus grower expects that once the season is in full swing he will struggle to find enough seasonal workers

The crop that is currently being harvested in Sunraysia is bound for domestic markets but in the coming weeks exports to Japan are expected to start

Asparagus is sent to export markets via air freight, which has also become very expensive in recent years due to COVID-19

His good fortune was partially due to the worker shortage affecting farmers in Australia's main asparagus growing area Koo Wee Rup, south-east of Melbourne. 

Mr Stephens says it is hard to predict how things will go this season.

"The shoe might be on the other foot â€" they've been able to secure their Pacific Island workers from Vanuatu," he said.

Restrictions cast doubt on season

Boeill Creek is on the New South Wales border, on the opposite side of the river to its neighbouring Mildura.

All of NSW was placed in a seven-day lockdown on Saturday night and since 6:00pm Friday, border bubble residents need a permit to enter Victoria.

Mr Stephens says it will have a huge impact on his operation because many of his seasonal workers live in Victoria.

"Yes they can get a permit, but the workers get scared off by the police on the bridge," he said.

"They don't want them looking into their business so to speak, so if there's opportunity in Victoria with other growers they'll go there instead."

Sunraysia asparagus grower Wayne Stephens is packing asparagus every second day.(

ABC Rural: Kellie Hollingworth

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Backpackers who are stuck in Australia and have had their visas extended will be employed at Mr Stephens packing shed.

At the moment they are only packing every second day, but once the weather warms up and the sun comes out the pressure will be on.

The asparagus being picked now is staying in Australia, but there is already interest from exporters who want to send samples to Japan.

Asparagus bound for Japan needs to be taped, rather the bundled with rubber bands.(

ABC Rural: Kellie Hollingworth

)

In the last couple of years Mr Stephens has shifted to taping asparagus for the Japanese market.

This is much more labour intensive because it requires three, four or five spears of asparagus to be bundled together, instead of the 150-gram bunches that are sold on the domestic market bound by rubber bands.

"We've gone from, say, 25 workers to around 45 just to supply that market," he said.

Mexican asparagus a threat

Mr Stephens says Mexican asparagus is a big threat to Australian growers.

"They can produce it a hell of a lot cheaper than we can," he said.

"We're up against it when it comes to wages and Japan is price-driven rather than quality driven.

"So if we don't get that early start into Japan and get that market secured, Mexico will come in and the importers will get onto a program and stick with the Mexico asparagus right through."

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But getting asparagus, with its short shelf life, to overseas markets isn't an easy feat during a pandemic.

With very limited international flights it means air freight is expensive.

"The government did support us last year and paid half the cost of the freight," Mr Stephens said.

"I don't know whether that's going to continue this year, but even with that 50 per cent subsidy our freight costs were double last year."

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