(ABC) - Wine grape harvest contractors are feeling the pinch of an exodus of growers from the industry.

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Audio: Wine grape harvest contractor Louise Belej on this year's vintage (ABC Rural)

Grape producer and contractor Louise Belej said so many growers in the Murray Valley had left the industry her client base had dropped from 125 to around 10 grape producers.

She said growers in the region were barely breaking even and some won't be able to pay their contractors.

"Normally we'd have a machine working every night of the week," she said.

"Up until five years ago we were operating five machines; now we're down to two.

"And the workload we have we could do with one.

"I don't have a big concern with the growers I've got on my books because we've been harvesting for them for years.

"But there'd be a lot of growers out there who probably won't be able to pay their commitments."

Ms Belej said this year's harvest started on January 11, two weeks earlier than other years.