Skilled farm labour shortage

Press, 30 January 1988, Page 5

Skilled farm labour shortage

PA Wellington The dairy farming industry is desperately short of staff with managerial skills, says Federated Farmers’ dairy section chairman, Geoff Mathis. “The acute shortage of experienced staff to work on larger dairy farms around the country is placing many farming families under severe pressure,” he said. Farmers had lost able staff because of the recent cyclic downturn in prices and the rural depression caused by the Government’s economic restructuring. These people were unlikely to return to farm work. Skilled workers were needed now, however, if New Zealand was to take advantage of higher international prices for dairy products. “Meanwhile, many farmers are making do with insufficient or unsatisfactory workers. The unemployed are often not suitable because they do not have the skills needed,” Mr Mathis said. Regional Department of Labour officers had told him they did not have qualified farm workers registering for employment. Mr Mathis said that the Government should recruit suitable . staff overseas to fill the vacancies.