“It’s still early yet, but I think volumes will be up slightly this year,” said Mr Hay

“All the pickers are in and have been inducted and it all seems to be pointing to a very good season in the Young district.

“We also seem to be seeing a lot of tourists for some reason, whether that has something to do with JD’s Jam Factory being closed I have no idea, but the town is bubbling along well, or so it seems,” said Mr Hay.

President of the New South Wales Cherry Growers Association, Scott Coupland said it is shaping up to be a good season with a medium crop.

“We’ve had good rain in October and that has helped with quality and will increase yields, and everyone in the district seems to be reporting the same,” said Mr Coupland.

“There seem to be a lot more workers about this year, which is a good and bad thing; good for the growers because there is no shortage of labour but bad for the workers if they can’t find work, especially if they have been encouraged to come here.

“Perhaps another reason may be that Young has such a good reputation among the backpackers.

“We may be attracting more workers, and a lot of it is word of mouth, than some other areas that may not have the same reputation,” said Mr Coupland.

Harvest Labour Consultant for Central West Community College, Harvest Labour Services, Katrina Rodwell said there are definitely more seasonal workers in town this year.

“We would have had about 1500 people looking for work at the moment, with more to come,” said Ms Rodwell.

“We will find work for them, the college also has the contracts for Orange and the Cabonne Shire, so I have been sending some of them there.

“I think the increase is due to the global financial crisis, Australia has come through it very well and our dollar is up, so they’re not losing money by coming here.

“Workers from France and Korea are the main nationalities this year, with probably seven out of 10 being French.

“Another reason could be that Young is marketed well as a good place to come to.

“A couple of challenges we’re seeing in Young for the cherry season is public transport, at the moment we only have taxis and demand for camping grounds with facilities is also exceeding supply,” said Ms Rodwell.