International Workers to Address Agriculture Skill Shortages
International Workers to Address Agriculture Skill Shortages
$13 billion
This is the amount that will cost the economy if the country removes the working holidaymakers, according to AFPA (Australian Fresh Produce Alliance).
It could also increase the price of vegetables and fresh fruits by as much as 60%.
At a recent parliamentary inquiry into the working-holidaymaker program, AFPA referenced an EY Consultants report that found there were 50,000-71,000 short-term roles in fresh produce annually.
With the borders closing and decreased backpacker travel, where will the agriculture sector find the transient workforce it needs?
Migration Labour Program
Australia's farm sector relies on the various migration labour programs: Seasonal Workers, Holiday Makers and Backpackers.
AFPA said backpackers filled 127,000 roles in the fresh-food sector. The group also estimated almost 130,000 people on the working holidaymaker visa were typically employed across the horticulture and fresh food industry.
At present, there are more than 140,000 backpackers and more than 7,000 Pacific Islanders with working visas.
On a different note, Dr Richard Curtain, a Research Fellow, wrote on Dev Policy Blog that an estimated 40,000 horticulture workers are needed for spring and summer, based on the demand from the previous period.
At the end of March 2020, just below 32,000 backpackers obtained a second-year visa after working 88 days in the farms. Moreover, 7,999 workers were given visas to work from August 2019 to January 2020.
COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 restrictions have decreased backpacker travel and imposed border closures. Seasonal workers like fruit pickers and shearers are refused entry to NSW coming from VIC.
In April, the Government allowed visa extension to international workers already in Australia. Home Affairs stated that 401 people on the working holidaymaker program and more than 3,550 on the seasonal worker program have been granted the extension. But backpacker numbers fell to 85,000 while job loss has increased and projected to reach 10%.
With the harvest season nearing in, growers and farmers have become concerned about how they will gather crops.
Why Australians are Unsuitable to Work in Agriculture
Despite the rising unemployed Australians, NFF relations advisor Ben Rogers said it’s unlikely that Australians would work as farmhand or fruit picker because they are hesitant to perform physically demanding work, pay accommodation costs or abandon their family or children responsibilities.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said unemployed Australians aren't a practical replacement for foreign workers because they are not willing to work in the farm sector. He explained that he is working on plans with his colleagues to address worker shortages.
Solutions
SWP Expansion
The Retail Supply Chain Alliance is endorsing the expansion of the Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) by allowing a pathway for permanent migration and citizenship.
The federal government is working on a new program to issue 200 visas to Vanuatu workers. Under this program, these workers will harvest mangoes in Northern Territory under the SWP. Growers will help cover the cost of flights from Vanuatu and the 14-day quarantine period before starting. Plans are in place to enforce the same strategy in shearing and horticulture sectors.
Agriculture Visa
NFF is proposing for an agriculture visa.Under the proposal, the visa will have two streams:
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Seasonal/Unskilled workers – valid for 12 months with the right to return yearly
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Skilled workers – longer-term than seasonal/unskilled, targeted for stock handers or farm managers.
Backpacker/AU Pair
NFF and the Backpacker and Youth Tourism Advisory Panel are proposing to allow 150 backpackers to come to Australia as early as October. In this program, backpackers interested to work as fruit pickers or as au pairs could be exempted to the country’s inbound travel ban.
The backpackers would come from countries with low COVID-19 infection rates. Fruit picking roles would be opened to backpackers after it has been initially offered to locals.
Visa Sponsorship for International Candidates Located Onshore
There are many visa options for international candidates currently stuck in Australia due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. These include certain waivers of work conditions on the WHV for critical sectors, further student visas, further tourist visas, and a special temporary pandemic visa.
At Agricrew, we specialise in skilled staffing for rural business across Australia. We recruit technicians and farmers in various agriculture sectors: horticulture, livestock, aquaculture, forestry, etc.
Contact us for more information as there are constant changes in this space at the moment.