Jacob Rausz is loving his new life after responding to a desperate call for farm workers in the Northern Territory.
He swapped a lockdown life shut out from his career in the Melbourne construction industry to join the government-sponsored Harvest Trail.
Now the 35-year-old drives tractors, excavators and organises irrigation as a farm worker on his new property at Acacia Hills, south of Darwin.
Jacob said he enjoys the freedom of "moving around" and has encouraged others to follow in his footsteps.
"There are so many different jobs available ... plus you have the chance to meet so many people, local and foreign."
The harvest worker shortage has plagued farmers right around Australia during the pandemic.
Hundreds of Pacific Island workers have been flown into the Top End over the past two years but with the loss of backpackers the problem has still caused big crop losses from the mango harvest.
Jacob is one who has joined the Federal government's AgMove program which offers financial help to fill the shortfall in workers mostly caused by pandemic border closures.
More than 7000 domestic seasonal workers have been attracted to the agricultural sector through $20 million of government incentives.
MORE READING: Winter crop smashes all records.
AgMove was launched at the end of 2020, offering Australians $2000 in relocation costs after two weeks of seasonal labour and an additional $4000 after four weeks work, with smaller amounts offered to temporary visa holders.
Jacob spent his first four months on a mango farm.
Now he has moved to another Territory farm where he starts work at 7am and has paddocks assigned to him to check out each day.
He monitors the irrigation, particularly the siphons for property's cotton crop.
His advice to others is to "give it a go".
"Find a role which might suit you and then apply for that job in a part of Australia you would like to visit."
Despite the lifting of border closures it is expected the harvest labour shortage will continue for years to come.
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Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
