Farmers are entering their third bumper harvest without enough workers to get the job done, the country’s largest agricultural advocacy group says.
NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said the enormous potential in the agricultural sector was being missed, squandering opportunities to rebuild the economy at a critical time, and hindering the sector’s goal of becoming the next $100 billion industry by 2030.
“We’re seeing record-breaking productivity after years of drought, but I’m worried we won’t be able to maximise opportunities before the next drought arrives,” Mr Martin said.
“NSW Farmers has been warning about the need to urgently address the skills shortage for years now, but it seems talk is easier than action.
“With the jobs summit getting underway, we want our leaders to prioritise food security, and maximise productivity. We need workers to be able to do this.”
Mr Martin said a career in agriculture meant being part of the future of food and fibre production, and required skills in diverse fields such as engineering, economics, science, trades and business.
“Securing the future agricultural workforce will come down to training and promoting opportunities,” he said.
“From hands-on vocational qualifications that improve the day-to-day business of farming, such as livestock management and machine operation, to technical and scientific qualifications that improve the quality of the produce leaving the farm gate, such as agronomy or crop research.
“A regional renaissance and high migration away from cities, as well as the burgeoning opportunities agricultural technology can offer, will open the gates to a new era for the agricultural workforce.”
While the federal government’s Jobs and Skills Summit would discuss the future of Australia’s workforce, Mr Martin said the time for talk on agriculture was over, calling for a high priority to be placed on fixing worker shortages.
“COVID stopped global worker movements, and the number of temporary residents in Australia has dwindled,” Mr Martin said.
“Rather than wasting time and money on taskforces, we would have been better off just paying for flights and getting people here.
“Australia’s unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in more than 40 years at 3.4 per cent, so if the Australian Government wants to secure food and fibre production into the future, it needs to be doing everything possible to get the workers we need today. Not tomorrow, not next season, but today.”
