Ag Minister's labour shortage claims met with anger, frustration

Victoria's Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says a local solution can be found to shortages, warning the industry can't rely on international workers, such as backpackers.

"I am not prepared to concede we cannot generate a local workforce - this is a workforce that will be supplemented by our Pacific Island neighbours," Ms Thomas told a Rural Press Club of Victoria webinar.

"It's going to be a very long time, I expect, before backpackers are able to return to Australia."

Leading Mooroopna fruit grower Peter Hall blamed the state government for ongoing worker shortages.

"Let's be very clear about this, the shortage in the industry last year was created by Victoria's management of the virus and their ability to respond with solutions that would work," Mr Hall said.

"Other states were facilitating the arrival of outside workers, but Victoria, because of its management of the virus, made it impossible for us."

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Analysis by Hort Innovation has found fruit and vegetable growers could be short by up to 24,000 workers, nationally, in the next six months.

Mr Hall said the government should have resolved potential labour shortage issues by now.

"This is a government who have no solutions to what has now been a two year issue - the minister's response is 'you guys sort it out," he said.

The state government was scared because of its inability to manage hotel quarantine.

"So they basically shut everything down," he said.

Plenty of people were out of work, but they were not prepared to enter the horticultural sector.

"I am not critical of those people; I just recognise Australians have evolved past seeing manual labour as attractive - I accept the reality of that," he said.

"Its a social and cultural dynamic which is impossible to change."

He said the federal approach of an agricultural visa was sensible.

Sue Finger, Vernview, Launching Place said there was merit in what Ms Thomas said but added the labour shortage would not be fixed quickly.

She said there were many signs, advertising jobs, in the area close to her orchard.

"This is for full-time work and the notices just stay there - there is obviously no interest, or no-one available, to take up those positions," Ms Finger said.

"Backpackers have been available to hospitality and agriculture for 20 years, and yet we are supposed to turn on a dime and 'magic up' these extra hands."

There would still be a significant gap in the labour market when harvest time came around again.

"How do you attract people to come and work, where they have nowhere to live?

"That is a significant disadvantage.

"And when you get here, there is no transport."

There had been no assistance with dealing with council planning rules, to get additional accommodation or available transport.

"It's a big picture and there has to be some real serious heads get together and talk this out," she said.

Victorian Farmers Federation Horticultural president Nathan Free said the government needed to work with the industry when it needed help, particularly with quarantine.

"When the borders do reopen we will then have a clear line of getting those workers into the country," Mr Free said.

"It's a partnership between industry, government, councils and federal government to try and find a solution to this problem, everyone needs to work together."

He said a recent government and industry round table meeting had started work on solutions.

"It's been 18 months to two years, and the industry hasn't filled those roles, so we need to work on a toolbox worth of strategies to be able to assist all farmers," he said.

"There is not a one-size fits all approach."

He said farmers were cutting back on production.

"A lot of farmers I know have been cutting down crops, or not planting what they used to, because they don't have the labour to get the crop off."

National Farmers' Federation horticulture council executive officer Tyson Cattle said the industry had already brought in more than 10,000 workers since the Seasonal Worker Programme restarted in July last year.

It was encouraging to see Prime Minister Scott Morrison's commitment to bring in another 12,500 workers by March next year.

"AUSVEG has been strong supporters of the programme and it's worrying to think where the industry would have been without it," Mr Cattle said.

"Despite its success, we are still well short of the workers we need."

Quarantine capacity and costs continued to be a significant challenge for the industry, with some growers forced to pay more than $3000 per worker to complete their quarantine before starting work.

"It has been disappointing that despite this opportunity, only South Australia has opted-in to have discussions around in-country quarantine options."