SENIOR Nationals minister David Littleproud says his party hasn’t abandoned the idea of a dedicated agriculture visa as another fruit-picking season approaches without a new migration category.
The horticulture sector has been crying out for a special visa type for years to address labour shortages on farms across Australia.
Mr Littleproud, former agriculture minister and now Federal Water Minister, met fruit growers in northern Victoria this week, two farmers telling him they desperately needed an agriculture visa to deal with staff shortages.
“We’re still working towards that,” he said. “The Prime Minister himself at (the National Farmers’ Federation) congress last year committed to working towards a mechanism.”
But since that commitment, Scott Morrison has argued the government’s changes to migration programs were doing the same job as a dedicated visa category.
Mr Littleproud said the government’s most important responsibility was to keep Australians safe.
“You don’t tinker with an immigration system until you’ve got the framework,” he said.
“There is a lot of work happening behind the scenes around not just ag visas, but regional skills and the shortage we do have in some areas.”
He said Mr Morrison had been clear in making sure labour pressures were alleviated for producers across the nation.
“You’ve got to understand the fluidity of the need for labour, particularly in terms of when crops need to be picked,” Mr Littleproud said.
“We’re not walking away. We’re trying to create mechanisms. What you call it, who cares? But what most people want is outcomes.”
Woorinen fruit farmer Mick Young said many European backpackers — one of the categories the government has extended to address labour shortages — weren’t suited to outdoor work.
“If they’re not suited and they don’t have making money at heart, then you don’t really know if they’re going to show up the next day,” he said.
