If you’re seeking a career that doesn’t demand substantial expertise or schooling and are prepared to work as unskilled labor, Fruit Picking and Packaging Jobs in Australia might be a good fit for you.
This job is in the agriculture industry, and because many Australians avoid this type of work, it creates opportunities for foreign workers.
Your primary responsibilities will be to pick fruits and vegetables, pack produce, operate on fields and orchards, load orders onto delivery vehicles, replenish stock, and conduct other warehouse duties.
Here’s a complete guide to fruit packing and packaging jobs in Australia, duties of packers, salary, and lots more.
Types of Fruit Packaging Jobs in Australia
1. Bananas
- Harvest season: Mar-Dec, peak season Jun-Aug
- Location: The tropics/subtropics of QLD, NT, WA, and Northern NSW.
Banana picking may be arduous work because bunches are heavy, and the majority of Australian bananas are still picked by hand: bunches are cut off the stalk with a knife, dropped to the ground with a rope, and put onto a truck or trailer.
However, some Australian farmers utilize mechanical harvesting equipment known as banana spiders, which automatically clamp and cut the bunches.
If you think banana picking is too strenuous for your body, you could work in the packing shed, where the bananas are washed and sorted according to size and quality.
2. Citrus (oranges, lemons, limes)
- Harvest season: Mar-Oct, peak season May-Sep
- Location: NSW, SA, VIC (particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin)
Citrus fruits can be collected mechanically by shaking the tree until the fruit comes off, however, for quality reasons, most citrus harvesting in Australia is done by hand.
Teams of pickers work along the rows of trees; ladders are frequently required to access the higher branches; and certain orange and lemon kinds have thorns on their branches, making harvesting difficult.
After being brought to a packing shed, the fruit is washed, sorted, and graded by size, color, and quality before being packed.
3. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
- Harvest season: Strawberries: May-Nov, peak season Aug-Oct
- Raspberries/Blueberries/Blackberries: Sep-Mar, peak season Dec-Feb
- Location: Across Australia, but more widespread in southern states.
The majority of berries in Australia are handpicked, either individually (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries) or combed/raked off with a special tool (blueberries).
Mechanical harvesters can gently shake ripe fruit off the plants, but the fragility of the berries can make this a dangerous and sometimes bruising operation.
Picking berries may be finicky work, and pickers will spend a lot of time squatting and bending down, making this a physically demanding profession. Despite the difficulties, an experienced, efficient berry picker can earn a fair living if they work on a piece rate.
4. Stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, apricots)
- Harvest season: Nov-Apr, peak season Dec-Jan
- Location: Across Australia, but more widespread in southern states.
Because peaches, apricots, nectarines, and plums are extremely fragile fruits (they bruise like a peach), Australian farmers prefer to avoid mechanical harvesting. Fruit is instead gathered by hand, with pickers using ladders to select the ripest fruit.
collecting stone fruit can be a time-consuming, labor-intensive procedure due to the care required in collecting the fruit, as well as the necessity to continually move and climb ladders to reach the upper branches of trees. However, an efficient picker can earn a fair living doing so.
5. Grapes
- Harvest season: Jan-Jun, peak season Feb-May
- Location: Across the Southern half of Australia (SA, VIC, WA, NSW, TAS, ACT).
Australian grape farmers use two methods to harvest their fruit: HanFd-picking, the traditional and still most common method for producing high-quality wines, involves workers cutting grape bunches from vines using handled shears.
Hand-picking allows for selective harvesting, which is vital for producing high-quality premium wines. Because many vineyards have steep terrain, it may be the only viable option.
While it is difficult to work, the grapes are at a convenient height for pickers, and a skilled worker can earn a fair living.
This approach involves purpose-built machinery riding the vines and shaking them to remove the grapes. Machine harvesting is a significantly more efficient approach that requires far fewer personnel; nevertheless, it is only ideal for flat terrain and specific varieties of grapes, and the harvest quality will be lower than with hand-picking.
Fruit Packer Job Description
Fruit packing jobs include tasks such as packing produce at a warehouse to prepare for distribution, practicing food safety, examining box containers for damage or cleanliness, marking boxes or containers, and organizing produce containers for delivery.
As a packer in a fruit packing facility, your duties may involve preparing shipment materials, inspecting fruit for cleanliness or damage, loading vehicles, and taking inventory of products.
These jobs can be part-time, full-time, or seasonal, and they can be on any shift of the day, with third-shift hours typically paying somewhat higher hourly rates. As a fruit packer, you must have great hand-eye coordination skills.
Fruit Packing and Packaging Jobs in Australia Salary
Fruit Pickers and Packers in Australia earn an average wage of $57,525 per year or $29.50 per hour. These positions are suited for untrained and inexperienced individuals, and they are available all year. Additional incentives include housing assistance, relocation assistance, and visa sponsorship.
Fruit packing jobs in Australia with Visa Sponsorship
Anyone interested in these jobs, regardless of country, is welcome to apply. People from various countries, including Australia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya, Cameroon, Ghana, Canada, the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and other developing countries, have successfully applied for these positions.
It is vital to note that only individuals that the company considers qualified will be contacted.
How To Find Fruit Picking Jobs in Australia 2024
To Discover Fruit Picking Jobs in Australia, use the following methods:
Method 1: Workforce Australia (Official Government of Australia).
Visit Workforce Australia’s website: Workforce Australia
In the search bar, enter “Visa Sponsorship,” “Fruit,” or other relevant terms.
This list will include all farming/fruit-related jobs in Australia that grant visa sponsorship.
Method 2: SEEK Australia
Visit the SEEK website: SEEK Australia
Enter terms such as “Visa Sponsorship,” “Fruit Jobs,” or “Picker Jobs” into the search bar.
Select “Australia” as your location.
This will list all Australian jobs that offer visa sponsorship.
Fruit Picking Jobs by Australian Businesses: Fruit-picking employment is available in many parts of Australia, depending on the harvest season and the fruits and vegetables farmed. Here are a few examples:
- Victoria (VIC):Citrus, grapes, raspberries, cherries, and strawberries are best harvested between November and February.
- New South Wales (NSW):The best time to harvest persimmons, apples, blueberries, cherries, and oranges is from November to April.
- Queensland (QLD):The best time to harvest strawberries, bananas, pears, and melons is from June to November.
- Western Australia (WA): The season is year-round, with grapes, apples, pears, and rockmelons harvested.
- South Australia: The best season for harvesting grapes, strawberries, and citrus is from April to September.
- Tasmania: The best season for collecting apples and grapes is from October to May.
- Northern Territory: The best season for mangoes, bananas, and melons is from May to November.
Fruit packing and packaging jobs in Australia for freshers
Fruit packing jobs require a high school graduate or GED certificate and previous industrial or warehouse experience, however, some companies provide entry-level opportunities with on-the-job training.
Lifting goods and containers all day requires physical strength and stamina. Some occupations need fruit packers to have prior forklift experience or to complete a company-sponsored training program.
To appropriately handle and check containers and goods before shipping, you may additionally require food safety training and certification through ServSafe or a comparable organization. Fruit packers can work for food manufacturers, factories, warehouses, or wholesalers.
Conclusion
Here’s what you need to know about fruit picking and packaging in Australia. If you are interested in this job position, follow the application steps below and explore your world in the agriculture sector of Australia.