Pacific Island workers arrive in Victoria to help fruit farmers

About 200 Pacific Island workers have arrived in Victoria to assist farmers with picking their fruit crops after spending the past two weeks quarantining in Tasmania. The Victorian government has allocated $7.8 million to help cover the cost of quarantining the workers in return for accepting some stranded overseas Tasmanian residents through their own hotel quarantine program – which is set to resume from April 8. Between April and June, 1,500 Pacific Island workers will quarantine in Tasmania before heading to Victoria where they will assist with the harvest. Other fruit and vegetable growers will also require assistance later in the year when their crops – including asparagus and stone fruits – are ripe for picking.