Mounting pressure on supply chains, says VFF

THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says both the state and federal governments must fast-track the supply of rapid antigen tests (RAT) and ease isolation requirements for the supply chain workforce.

VFF president Emma Germano (pictured) said the enormous rise of COVID-19 cases in Victoria and the subsequent isolation of an increasing number of workers was mounting pressure on critical supply chains.

“The less workers there are to maintain our supply chains, the more vulnerable it becomes, and this directly threatens our food security,” Ms Germano said.

“Farmers can’t provide the food and fibre needed to feed the country without the means to transport it via our essential supply chains. Our access to the inputs needed to operate is also severely impacted."

Ms Germano said the VFF warned both the federal and state governments in October last year of this very scenario and "to see this eventuate months later is incredibly frustrating".

Ms Germano said there needed to be an urgent rethink of quarantine rules and a fast-track of RATs for supply chain workers to ensure capacity.

“To help safeguard our essential supply chains, asymptomatic workers deemed close contacts of COVID-19 cases must have their isolation period reduced, much in the same way as healthcare workers.

“Workers need to have a reliable access of a RAT and decision makers must prioritise this.”

“Regional Victoria and our agriculture industry have been a resilient driver of our economy throughout this pandemic and it’s high-time that the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and the government listened.

“Time is ticking, we need action, leadership and guidance now,” Ms Germano said.