Effects of covid 19 lockdowns on the sectors of the agri-food chain of the AFI, and solutions

1. food producers

1.1. COVID resulted in the decrease in demand for food products, especially those that non-essential.

1.1.1. this results in food retailing businesses dropping prices of these products. Consequently, the return for food producers also decreases, and may not be enough to cover cost of production (e.g. strawberries in QLD)

1.1.1.1. businesses providing delivery services that help consumers purchase food items and avoid drastic price drops

1.1.1.2. 'pick your own' option for consumers that provides a personal experience whilst reducing the stock for farmers

1.1.2. decreased sales for food products due to less frequently shopping rate. This means many products are not being sold out, and many of them might be wasted

1.1.2.1. Woolworth selling food boxes that has a collection of products for the buyers and effectively distributes the items that are in excess

2. labour

2.1. there is a shortage of agricultural workers within Australia due to the lack of seasonal workers travelling to Australia

2.1.1. foods and crops are dying before they can be harvested. this decreases the food supply, and the food producers are losing money

2.1.1.1. student helpers may be helpful for those who are looking to give back to the community and acquire some work experience

2.1.1.2. The government has approved several flights for seasonal workers to come in, however, this is a risky thing to do with COVID stilling going on