Higher salaries for farm workers
Sheep and beef farm worker salaries have risen the most of any sector in the past year, with shepherds ahead by 4 per cent to an average of $46,000 and stock managers 6.8 per cent to $57,000.
Grain farm workers also improved, with farm managers up by 7.7 per cent to $67,000, and tractor drivers ahead by 1.7 per cent to $48,000.
Junior dairy workers such as farm assistants rose 0.7 per cent to $41,000, and assistant herd managers climbed 1.2 per cent to $46,000. Dairy herd managers ($52,000) were down 0.8 per cent, and farm managers and operations managers saw their salaries fall by 1.5 and 1.6 per cent respectively.
Once the total package is taken into account, a dairy operations manager earned an average $74,000. Non-cash benefits such as a house, free electricity, firewood and internet access can often add up to $5000 more to salaries. Accommodation is provided to 79 per cent of permanent employees.
‘‘While we have seen small decreases in the mean salary for some of the 15 roles surveyed, it’s pleasing to see the overall mean salary has risen for employees across all farming sectors,’’ Federated Farmers employment spokesman Andrew Hoggard said.
The figures are contained in the 2016-2017 employee remuneration report that follows a survey for Federated Farmers by Rabobank. Hoggard said it was positive to see farming salaries creeping upwards given the tough economic conditions.
‘‘Many farming operations experienced a difficult 2016 and as a result we weren’t expecting to see much movement in salaries from last year’s report ... at the time survey responses were being collected, the recovery in dairy prices was well underway, however farmers were yet to see the cash-flow benefit materialise.’’
Forty per cent of employers reported it was not easy to find employees, compared with 31 per cent who said it was easy. ’’Recruitment, especially in the dairy and grain industry, is still proving difficult which is reflected in the fact that there is still relatively high reliance on migrant labour,’’ Hoggard said.
The report showed working hours were highest for dairy and grain workers at 45 hours a week, followed by sheep and beef at 43. However, the average weekly hours worked by entry level staff on dairy farms dropped from 43 to 42.
Over 90 per cent of permanent employees now have a written employment agreement, up on last year’s 88 per cent, with 96 per cent compliance in the dairy industry. The survey of 914 respondents on 2834 positions was completed earlier this year.