RAT supply: Agribusinesses to run out of tests as government seizes orders

“I’m pretty angry if I’m honest” said one agribusiness executive after the government seized his company’s rapid tests. See more reactions here.

 Major agribusinesses say they are “angry” the government has seconded their orders of rapid antigen tests and they expect to run out of supplies within weeks.

Meanwhile farmers and packing house staff say they are driving hours every day in search of tests to keep their businesses running, but are coming home empty-handed.

Burra Foods chief executive Stewart Carson said he was “trying to look after (his) workforce as best (he) can”, but he found out on Friday his order of 400 tests had been seconded.

“It’s great for the government to say close contacts can return to work if they have a RAT (rapid antigen test), and then we have ours, plus a number of other companies as far as I know, seconded,” Mr Carson said.

“I’m pretty angry if I’m honest.”

He said he currently had 10 per cent of his workforce off due to Covid and had enough supplies of rapid antigen tests to get through the next week but after that “I don’t know what we’ll do,” he said.

Catherine Velisha has been trying to find rapid tests for her workers.

Fruit and vegetable suppliers have also been hit hard by the shortage of rapid tests.

Velisha Farms managing director Catherine Velisha, who runs farms and a packaging and distribution business in Werribee South, said she was down 50 per cent of her workforce due to staff either testing positive to Covid or being a close contact of someone who had tested positive.

She said a number of her staff would be able to return to work if she could find rapid tests, but despite trying to source tests from a number of local stores, she hadn’t been able to find any.

“With the new directives we’d be able to bring the workforce back a bit quicker if we’re able to get those rapid tests, but unfortunately it’s been a real battle,” she said.

“So what we’ve got is new directives, but unfortunately not the tools to implement those new directives.”

Her remaining staff were working extra hours to try to meet orders.

”You’ve got a stress on the workforce when you’ve got 50 per cent of the staff covering the other 50 per cent. You can do it for a few days, but how long is it feasible?” she said.

Emma Germano says major businesses could run out of tests within weeks. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said she was fielding calls from dozens of farmers in the same situation.

“The new directives that have come into place are completely irrelevant to our industry,” she said.

“There is a huge amount of frustration for many growers who have contacted us with the same issue.

“People are driving into town every day (looking for tests).”

“A lot of the larger businesses I’ve spoken to say that they’ve got supply but it is only going to last two weeks or three weeks.”

Source: Else Kennedy, The Weekly Times, 17 January 2022