GRAINCORP is making another aggressive push to attract harvest casuals, buoyed by the prospects of a third consecutive bumper season through its east coast catchment.
The bulk handler announced it plans to appoint as many 3000 harvest casuals to work across more than 160 sites from Central Queensland in the north all the way down to southern Victoria in roles such as weigh bridge attendants, bunker staff and samplers.
The initial round of job applications, for positions in Queensland, opened on Monday, with jobs in NSW opening on July 11 and Victoria on August 1.
GrainCorp chief operating officer Klaus Pamminger said it would be a busy time for the company as it managed what is predicted to be another big year in terms of grain production combined with carry-out and the ongoing export program from the past two years.
"We expect to have exported up to 9 million tonnes of grain by the end of September, at which time harvest will be in full swing in Queensland, so preparations are well and truly underway to ensure we can continue outloading and receiving significant volumes of grain," Mr Pamminger said.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences' (ABARES) recent crop report forecasts 50.9 million tonnes of grain produced for the 2022-23 season, the fourth highest on record.
The forecast predicts up to 24 million tonnes of wheat, canola and barley will be produced across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Mr Pamminger said GrainCorp was working towards its previously announced goal of building another 2 million tonnes of storage prior to harvest.
"It's clear there will be a high carry-out of grain as we head into the upcoming harvest, so this investment into the network - coupled with another large recruitment drive - will provide growers with confidence as the crop develops," he said.