George and Anne Singh just can’t get enough local workers to come and pick blueberries at their Caniaba blueberry farm.

Their daughter Suzanne Singh-Dhesi (owner of Pirolos Fruit Barn) said it’s because the people who pick regularly for them, year after year, are sitting comfortably at home, receiving Jobseeker payments.

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“They don’t want to work 20 to 30 hours picking blueberries to make same amount of money they are given in Jobseeker,” Suzanne said.

“Normally we would have 30 people picking at this time of year, but now its only family and friends helping us out.

“I’m even helping mum and dad picking and packing, even though I’m working all week in the shop. Our kids go picking after school and my son who works full time as a lawyer also helps out when he can.”

Local help needed

The blueberry season runs from May until the end of November and Suzanne said the family really needs more locals to come and help pick the berries before the hotter months kick in.

“When the weather gets hotter, the berries will waste on the trees, so we really need to get onto it now,” she said.

Suzanne said other blueberry farms are hiring backpackers to pick the berries, but the Singhs have strictly chosen to avoid that.

“My parents are elderly and we don’t want the risk of backpackers bringing Covid-19 to the farm,” she said. “That’s’ why we want to make sure the pickers are locals.

“You don’t know where the backpackers have been – sometimes they go missing for a few days and they might go to Sydney and come back.”

A day in the life of a picker

Suzanne said the average day for a picker can be flexible depending on what your needs are.

“Some people with kids start at 9 or 10am and leave at 2.30 or 3pm to pick up the kids,” she said.

“Some don’t have responsibilities and when daylight savings changes, they start early and finish late.”

The one thing to note about blueberries is that you can’t start picking in the morning until the dew had dried off the berries.

How much can you make?

Suzanne said the good pickers can make $800 over three or four days.

“We pay $10 a bucket and the good pickers do 2.5 to 3 buckets an hour,” she said.

“People often expect to start picking that straight way, but you have to get used to it and it takes a few weeks to get to that speed. There’s also a technique to picking the berries and we grow a few different varieties that are picked a bit differently.

“We also do everything above board and pickers receive a pay slip every week and they know how much tax and superannuation is.”

Covid-safe

Suzanne said distancing between pickers is taken very seriously and people are given opposite ends of a row to pick so there’s no close contact.

“Pickers write on their own tickets for their buckets so they can keep tabs on it, then people pick up buckets for them.

“We also have a shed with a shower, toilets and kitchen where people can heat up their own food.”

What to bring

If you want to pick berries, make sure you pack your hat, a long sleeved shirt and a water bottle. It’s an outdoors job but it’s not too sunny because the branches of the bushes shade you.

Suzanne said the farm, which has been growing blueberries for 11 years now (among other things) is closer to Lismore than Goonellabah, about 10km out of Lismore after the airport.

You can phone George Singh for information if you are keen on 0468 352 497.