The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) has received the final report from Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) into the future of our food supply chain workforce.
NFF President David Jochinke said the report had failed to provide the workforce data needed to underpin policy and business decisions - which was the problem the Government had intended to solve.
Mr Jochinke said that in the absence of meaningful new data and insights, the report had largely just restated old problems.
However, despite not delivering on industry's aspirations, the NFF acknowledged that some of the report's recommendations were encouraging.
"Employers in the sector will be relieved the report rightly warns against adjusting specified work provisions within the Working Holiday Maker program, noting its significance to the agricultural workforce in addressing labour market failures and ultimately our national food security," Mr Jochinke said.
"It unsurprisingly finds that a national approach to labour hire licensing is urgently needed, something all stakeholders have agreed on for years.
"Also, that the costs of placing workers through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme will need to come down if it is to remain a commercially viable proposition for business and maximise benefits flowing back to the Pacific.
"Most significantly, JSA makes the case for a targeted, capped visa pathway to respond to the genuine short-term surge workforce needs in parts of the horticulture sector.
Mr Jochinke said the NFF is acutely aware of the workforce challenges producers face.
"The report covers the full range of challenges facing the agricultural workforce and puts forward in response 41 recommendations, not dissimilar to those made in the National Agricultural Workforce Strategy, launched by the last government in late 2020.
"Perhaps the biggest redeeming feature of the report is that no stakeholder, industry, union or other, are going to be altogether thrilled by its findings and recommendations.
"What will be most telling is how the government responds to its own report, with all the hardest work yet to be done."
