Students, migrants and grey nomads will be urged to pick fruit and vegetables and fill labour shortages on Victorian farms to prevent tonnes of produce from going to waste and price rises for fresh food.
Attracting enough workers, particularly foreign labourers, to pick and pack produce has been a major problem for some farmers as the coronavirus pandemic has all but stopped international travel.
The Victorian government will launch an advertising campaign this week to encourage thousands of workers to spend the summer months labouring on farms.