Australian farmers have been given the green light to recruit seasonal workers from the Pacific and Timor Leste.
Peterson Mariango, is a 28-year-old from Tanna Island in Vanuatu. He has been working as a seasonal worker in the Northern Territory since 2018.
"Any workers we can get at that time will be helpful, we're trying to work with a few of the other farmers around," he said. "Melons, grapes, cherries, berries, strawberries the range across Australia is tremendous and every single industry is starting to feel the pinch," he said. "We know we're about 30,000 to 40,000 people short over the next 12 months and those positions aren't going to come from Australians, we know that, so we really do need to ramp this project up."
NT Farmers Association Paul Burke says this is a good start but more workers are going to be needed in other upcoming fruit picking seasons.Mr Burke said the trial will cost the Farmers Association $2,500 per person for quarantine plus close to $100,000 for a charter flight to Vanuatu.Pacific Minister Alex Hawke said the benefits will also go beyond the farm gate and foster relationships between Australia and its closest neighbouring countries.
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