BULK grain handler GrainCorp has begun recruiting thousands of casual workers to help harvest what’s tipped to be a third consecutive bumper winter crop for eastern Australia.
Applications for 550 positions on weighbridges, sample stands, hoppers and in laboratories at receival sites across the Swan Hill and Mallee regions open on Monday.
Sites at Piangil, Manangatang and Quambatook will require more than 40 workers each.
GrainCorp chief operating officer Klaus Pamminger said the company needed up to 3000 workers to manage operations at more than 160 sites from central Queensland to southern Victoria.
“Harvest is the big ‘grand final’ for GrainCorp each year and it’s critical we run an efficient system for growers to deliver their grain and get back to the header as quickly as possible,” he said.
“We expect to have exported up to nine million tonnes of grain by the end of September, at which time harvest will be in full swing in Queensland, so preparations are well and truly under way to ensure we can continue outloading and receiving significant volumes of grain.
“The recruitment of a large harvest workforce is the final, crucial piece of our puzzle, to ensure our supply chain continues to operate at full capacity and we have the right people on board to manage the task.”
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences’ (ABARES) recent crop report forecasts 50.9 million tonnes of grain produced for the 2022-23 season, the fourth highest on record.
ABARES predicts up to 24 million tonnes of wheat, canola and barley will be produced across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Mr Pamminger said it would hopefully be another big year for growers.
“We’ve listened to their feedback about what they need to see from us, so we’re adding two million tonnes of new storage capacity and upgrading our mobile equipment, as well as reviewing our ‘flex’ site capacity and segregation planning,” he said.
“It’s clear there will be a high carry-out of grain as we head into the upcoming harvest, so this investment into the network – coupled with another large recruitment drive – will provide growers with confidence as the crop develops.”
Applications can be made through the GrainCorp website at www.graincorp.com.au/harvest-casuals.
