Governor samples our produce

The next day, she toured the Shepparton packhouse operated by Kalafatis Fresh Produce, enabling her to sample Pink Lady apples being packed.

Ms Gardner told Country News she was visiting northern Victoria as part of her goal to visit as many parts of the state as she could.

“One of the great things is being able to see the industry mix in the state and it has enabled me to see not just how significant agriculture is to Victoria, but how significant Victoria’s agriculture is to Australia, and to see how it is transforming, while seeing the opportunities and points of pressure,” she said.

In her discussions with farmers she met on her visit, she noted the opportunities with trade deals and the difficulty of finding labour, as well as the pressure from costs on their viability.

Asked if she has the ear of the Victorian Government, Ms Gardner said: “The government knows the governor goes on regional tours and where I go is public, and I can’t tell government what to do, but I talk to government about what I see and hear.”

The Katunga Flavorite facility has 10.6ha under glass and employs about 120 people, many of whom are with the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

Operations manager Mark Wood explained to the governor how the scheme worked and how they were offered a broad range of workshops to enable overseas workers to integrate into the Australian society.

The overseas workers can stay in Australia for a fixed term, and are able to send home the money they earn.

“It’s a great opportunity for the workers who can earn enough money to take home to buy houses or even farms,” Mr Wood said.

The Katunga glasshouse is one of four facilities (including one at Tatura) operated by Flavorite, which is the biggest glasshouse grower of tomatoes in Australia.

The company recycles water and 17 per cent of energy usage is generated by solar systems.

At Kalafatis Fresh Produce, Ms Gardner saw the packing lines in operation in a business which processes 80,000 bins of fruit per year.

The business was established by migrant Angelo Kalafatis, who started out on a small orchard east of Shepparton. It now employs up to 120 people in the packing shed and up to 200 pickers at the height of the season.

Jimmy Kalafatis, who now runs the business, said labour was a continuing problem for the industry.

He was backed up by Fruit Growers Victoria president Mitch McNab, who also raised the issue with the governor.