A lack of RATs is contributing to the dire shortage of agriculture workers across NSW

The lack of workers comes three months after NSW Farmers released a ten point plan, highlighting the need for RATs to keep the workforce moving throughout further outbreaks.

NSW Farmers president James Jackson said that things were looking dire.

"Last year we lost fruit and vegetables because they weren't picked in time and that problem is getting even worse for horticulture," he explained.

"For the croppers, there were harvesters sitting in sheds because there was no-one to drive them, and it was only the sheer scale of the overall harvest that kept the sector from falling down."

Marty O'Donnell, a former citrus grower who now offers business advice to others said that while RATs were a problem, it also came down to housing.

"There's a lack of tests but also just a lack of people in the area. On the labour side, it's just very difficult to get enough people to do the jobs," he explained.

"The people who are coming to the area are struggling to get housing. With wineries, there's people chasing accommodation and they can't get it."

He emphasised the struggle many growers have, particularly large scale operations.

"It's very difficult all around. Even ones who usually have three or four hundred workers, they're now struggling to get 30 or 40."

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Mr Jackson said that the remaining time to act and limit the impacts was running short.

"We can't keep waiting for governments to act - the disruptions of COVID are not going away any time soon, and we need real action on shoring up our agricultural workforce," Mr Jackson said.

"It's all well and good to talk about training workers, but what about the next harvest and the one after that?"

"Long-term reform of the labour market is needed, but we cannot wait years while our crops rot because there aren't enough workers in the fields now."

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