Comments

The authors call for donors to 'learn from their own work' and for 'more data and different methods' (i.e. presumably more research in the same field), but perhaps it would be more enlightening to look outside the aid industry and to engage across different fields of experience, theory and practice, including most importantly with Pacific people themselves and with the field of Pacific Studies. It would also be useful to start the discussion by framing this not as a Pacific problem, but as an aid problem. In fact, there has been a lot of discussion about this blog post in the Pacific studies community on social media. It would be so great to see some engagement across different forums and some sharing of the different perspectives.

I help my partner in Vanuatu who is an agent doing the recruitment, vetting and briefing mentioned in your excellent post. We are baffled by the lack of communication and planning that the situation warrants as we can see from both sides - the Approved Employers really need to plan their labour supplies and be equipped for all contingencies - and we know the workers are hanging on every word, every chance that they may be required in an instant to be work ready and leave. Vanuatu is one of the few countries in the world to be declared Covid-19 free and this could be a great positive for the farmers and the workers wanting to travel to Australia under the SWP. Especially as the SWP is under the umbrella of Australia's aid to the Pacific and this particular country had relied on tourism, which is now of course completely in tatters due to border closures. The SWP is the perfect win-win for Vanuatu people and the Approved Employers who need this planning done now. I would hope maybe talks government to government may be the first step? Perhaps the planes going to collect the repatriating workers in the next couple of months can also deliver fresh workers at the same time....

Thank you. That is great for your work through the Seeds of Life program in Aileu. Hope our new government puts more effort on improving all the key sectors across the country.

This helped me in my legal studies assignment.. Thankyou..

Fredrick, I hope your article is widely read and reaches decision makers too. As long as the majority of PNG people continue to live subsistence livelihoods, access to TV, radio, newspapers will be limited: radio remains king. The arrival of the COVID pandemic and the need for a trusted voice with reach to the masses serves to remind what was lost when the Australian ABC short wave broadcast was canned back in 2017. Thank you for your article and shining a light on the ongoing relevance of radio to PNG.

The well documented attempts to use job seekers or youths in detention will not work. You are saddling farmers with mainly unwilling workers.

Thanks for this timely post Richard. All of us will pay a price in terms of increased cost of fruits and vegetables if farmers are unable to bring their produce to market. Of many great things about Australia is the steady supply of fresh produce - thanks to our farmers, retailers, and their workers. If the labour shortages on farms is not addressed soon then we will be paying higher prices for our green groceries; not just this year, but also next year.

Dear Team The COVID 19 impact on fresh food production has lost of 4.5 million for 3 month 23 March - June 2, Tambul/Nebilyer farmers have badly affected in socio economic household income. On behalf I would like to ask the GoPNG and Economic Stimulus Package to assist my Tambul Nebilyer 216 household to recover and revive their household economic. Thank

MANY OF THE POPULATION WHO ARE LIVING IN RURAL AREAS HAVE NOT YET REGISTERED WITH THE NID. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEAL WITH SUCH ISSUES?

Why can't the Govt and horticulture industry associations get the unemployed people registered through Centrelink, for this work. Work and get paid, maybe incentivise with stay arrangements for the workers. There would be some farmers out there, who have innovated, to use labour at similar costs compared to WHMs. Any learnings from them could be used by the industry.

Great blog post Richard. I think you're bang on. In relation to WHM movements, new figures show by end of April 2020, the number was down to 98,000. This shows a quick downward trend from the start of 2020, indicating the shortage through until January 2021 could be very substantial.

This is a great time to move the youths in detention out to farms and work. They would learn about farming and also help out our farmers at the same time. Just an idea for the shortage of staff.