Australia’s glasshouse horticulture industry is entering a period of significant expansion.
Driven by consumer demand for premium produce, food security concerns and a growing focus on climate resilience, glasshouse and controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) is transforming the way horticulture is managed. However, with rapid growth comes workforce pressure – and finding people with the right mix of technical knowledge, hands-on experience and adaptability is no small task. At Agri Talent, our recruitment specialists are deeply knowledgeable about the nuances of the glasshouse sector — helping businesses build capable teams that can thrive in a high-tech and highly controlled environment.
The rise of glasshouse production in Australia
Australia’s glasshouse footprint continues to expand, with significant investment across Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales in particular. According to Hort Innovation, the protected cropping sector is growing by more than 6% annually – with glasshouse grown vegetables alone now contributing over $1.5 billion to the national economy each year.
This growth reflects major shifts in both consumer behaviour and grower strategy, which can be broken down to:
- Increasing demand for consistent, year-round supply
- Greater efficiency in water and fertiliser use
- Rising interest in urban or peri-urban farming
- Improved yield and pest control compared to open-field methods.
These advantages make glasshouse systems an appealing option for businesses wanting to scale sustainably and protect against weather volatility. But operating these systems also requires a more specialised workforce.
Why glasshouse roles are different
Glasshouse operations are highly systematised and data-driven. Whether you’re growing tomatoes, berries, leafy greens or capsicum – success relies on a blend of technical skill, precision and process adherence.
Roles in this space often require experience with:
- Climate control and monitoring systems
- Automated irrigation and fertigation
- Crop health tracking using data and sensors
- Harvest scheduling, packaging and QA within strict specifications.
From growers and supervisors to technical operators, maintenance teams and production managers, every part of the operation demands staff who are both trained and aligned with the unique pace and pressures of protected cropping.
How Agri Talent supports glasshouse recruitment
Agri Talent understands the specialised nature of controlled-environment agriculture — and we bring that knowledge into every placement.
Here’s how we help glasshouse businesses secure the right people:
- Sector-specific recruitment
We don’t generalise. Our team works exclusively within agriculture and we’ve supported major national and regional glasshouse operations across vegetables, berries, flowers and leafy greens.
- Skilled migration solutions
We offer end-to-end skilled migration services for hard-to-fill technical roles — from horticulture specialists and farm managers to maintenance technicians and irrigation leads.
- Tailored workforce planning
We partner with clients to map out future hiring needs – factoring in growth, expansion, automation and compliance. This helps businesses reduce turnover, scale sustainably and meet audit and quality standards.
- Cultural and operational alignment
It’s not just about qualifications. We take the time to understand your business and team environment — ensuring candidates are a good fit for your structure, culture and long-term direction.
Helping the sector grow — sustainably
As the glasshouse sector continues to evolve, building the right team will remain a critical success factor. With increased use of automation, stricter compliance frameworks and the pressure to reduce waste and increase output, every hire counts.
Whether you’re expanding your footprint or refining your operations, Agri Talent is here to support your workforce strategy with deep industry knowledge and a commitment to getting it right. So if you’re looking for recruitment support tailored to glasshouse operations, we’d love to talk.