Scheme is Win-win Situation for Tobacco Growers, Workers

Source from:  fijitimes.com Sunday, February 26, 2006 02/28/2006

OVENS Valley tobacco growers have avoided the labour pains felt by other horticulture producers thanks to an innovative training scheme with Fijian workers. For the past 15 years Fijians have come to help harvest the valley's tobacco crop. Twenty to 30 trainees arrive at the end of January each year on a three-month training visa. Tobacco company British American Tobacco support the workers' visa application so they can pick up knowledge and experience to take back to Fiji's burgeoning industry. Workers are paid Australian award wages and taxed at 29 per cent. Myrtleford tobacco grower Colin McCormack said local growers relied on the scheme to boost labour at harvest time. "It helps the bigger farmers harvest their crops effectively and frees up local labour for the smaller farms," Mr McCormack said. Fijian workers have become part of the local community and are welcomed back every year, according to Mr McCormack, who is the Victorian Farmers Federation labour spokesman. "It's a magnificent program. People come out and get basic training, do chemical and first aid courses and go back home to their families with money to educate their kids," he said. Mr McCormack would like to see the program extended to other horticulture industries. Tobacco Co-operative of Victoria's chief executive John Moore has been inundated with inquiries from other horticulture industries wanting their own Fijian program. "Everyone is taking it out of perspective. It's not related to the guest worker scheme," Mr Moore said. "It's backed by a similar agricultural practice in its infancy in Fiji. Their quality is improving because of the lessons learnt here." The Fijians are assessed by the farmers they work for, who report back to management in Fiji. "They learn proficiency in determining crop maturity, water management and hands-on curing," Mr Moore said. British American Tobacco spokesman John Galligan said that thanks to the program, leaf quality in Fiji had improved, giving higher returns to local growers. Enditem