Introduction
7.1
If Australian agriculture is to reach the National Farmers’ Federations’ target of $100 billion by 2030 it is imperative that the sector has access to a sufficiently large and well-trained workforce.
7.2
Currently, the Australian agriculture sector employs around 250,000 people but there are a number of challenges that the industry faces in securing the human capital it will need, not least that the average age of farmers is 56 years, 17 years older than the average worker.
7.3
This chapter will consider the issues surrounding the availability of workers in the agriculture sector, these include: bringing more young people into the industry; ensuring that the workforce has the skills to take advantage of the opportunities presented by digital agriculture; the role of overseas workers in the sector; and workplace health and safety in agriculture.
Review of the Evidence
7.4
On 30 October 2020, the National Agricultural Labour Advisory Committee delivered to government its National Agricultural Workforce Strategy. The Strategy’s recommendations are currently being considered by the Australian Government.
Workforce Shortages
7.5
Difficulties attracting workers is a problem widely reported in the agriculture sector, the National Farmers Federation (NFF) stated that ‘farmers continue to be constrained by an inability to attract the workers they need’. Similarly, Ausveg stated that for vegetable producers it was difficult to find a ‘competent, reliable and efficient workforce’ and that this difficulty was caused by ‘being unable to access a local workforce, inadequate career pathways to horticulture and issues with the current visa system’.
7.6
ABARES report that in 2018, 40 per cent of Australian broadacre farms and 48 per cent of dairy farms had difficulty recruiting the workforce they needed. Shortages were less commonly reported by horticulturalists as ‘the demand for low skilled workers, the use of contract labour and access to backpackers appears to reduce recruitment difficulties.’
7.7
Nevertheless, Citrus Australia stated their industry can also struggle with labour shortages and attributed this to the physical requirements of the industry, the need to live in rural and remote locations, and (in Western Australia and northern Queensland) an ‘inability for growers to compete with the wages being offered at nearby mining sites’.
7.8
The meat industry also encounters similar challenges in attracting and retaining the workforce it needs. The Red Meat Advisory Council noted that, despite often operating in areas of high unemployment, many meat processing plants were not operating at full capacity due to workforce shortages and that almost 4000 additional workers were needed to bring these operations to 100 per cent capacity.
7.9
The impact of a lack of younger workers coming into the industry has been experienced slightly differently in the fishery sector. The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation explained that ‘employment in commercial fishing has fallen by half since 2001 reflecting the loss of fishers access to waters, price competition from imported fish and seafood (especially frozen prawns, and canned tuna); and the aging of wild catch fishers and their capital equipment and technology.’
7.10
The Department of Agriculture stated that the workforce challenges faced in the agriculture sector were at the ‘forefront of the government’s mind’ and advised that it is in the process of developing a National Agriculture Workforce Strategy. The Strategy will explore the opportunities to expand the pool of skilled workers through the school, vocational, and university education systems, as well as through providing ‘competitive employment conditions.’
Digital Skill Shortages
7.11
The difficulties attracting workers into the agriculture sector and the development of new agricultural technologies interact in a number of ways. Charles Sturt University observed that ‘part of the answer to workforce shortages will be technology and mechanisation’, and noted that in the United States 31 per cent of farmers had used mechanisation to cover a shortage of labour.
7.12
The Australian Fresh Produce Alliance suggested, however, that mechanisation will not necessarily result in a reduction in agricultural jobs, stating that the:
... automation of harvesting will be a serious game changer when it occurs and rather than displacing labour, it will create new and further opportunities for skilled workers to establish career pathways in the sector.
7.13
Similarly, KPMG stated preparing current and future agricultural workers for the ‘workplace of the future’ would require up-skilling and retraining workers as ‘other skills become redundant with a rise in automation and artificial intelligence (AI) and a shift towards roles such as data analysts, computer scientists, technology developers and programmers.’
7.14
Many organisations reported that the agriculture sector was already in need of more workers trained in using digital technologies and that this need would only grow in the future. ABARES noted that higher skilled roles were difficult to fill and highlighted the need for access to agricultural training and competitive wages to ‘attract and retain skilled workers.’
Education and Training
7.15
Cotton Australia summarised the impact of the changing nature of farming on the agricultural workforce, stating that there is a ‘rising skills bar with the increasing integration of technology in all areas’.
7.16
Mr Robert Miller and Narrawilly Dairy highlighted the challenges the sector will face in adapting to the increased reliance on technology, stating that ‘agriculture, and dairy, is still in the hands of old men with old school training.’ Mr Miller also questioned the costs of retraining the existing farm workforce and of attracting young workers into the sector, stating:
How much are politicians planning to invest in teaching these old dogs all the new tricks needed to manage ‘innovative’ farms … how much are they planning to invest to attract and retain younger, better educated, culturally diverse farmers to the messy, smelly, hard-yakka world of dairy?
7.17
Opportunities for bringing young people with high-level technological skills into the agriculture sector and for up-skilling of the current generation of farmers are explored in the following section.
7.18
In its Delivering Ag2030 plan, the Australian Government reported that it is providing $250 million to support access to short courses in priority fields including agriculture.
Agricultural Education in Schools
7.19
The Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia(PIEFA) stated that there had been a very low level of investment into agricultural education despite there not being ‘many issues the industry faces that cannot be in some way alleviated through appropriate school education.’
7.20
The PIEFA stated that 60 per cent of undergraduates had already determined the career choice by Year 6 of primary school and highlighted that in education ‘food and fibre production ... remains absent from the Australian Government’s National STEM Agenda’.
7.21
NELLAN and NETRACKS LLEN, local education groups in northern Victoria, stated that current delivery of agriculture education in Australia consisted of a ‘varied, sporadic, and scatter-gun approach.’ NELLAN and NETRACKS LLEN noted that these approaches included:
agricultural farms but that these struggle with costs and availability of trained teachers
short-term experiential trips to farms but these are rarely linked to further training
centralised specialist schools that come at very high cost to the public purse
courses offered by registered training organisations but these course do not have high completion rates
some universities offer pathways from vocational education into degrees
individual teachers using externally developed materials.
7.22
Improving the pathways from schooling into training and beyond into careers in agriculture was supported by a number of organisations. For example, Citrus Australia stated that reinvigorating these pathways would help to ‘reintroduce Australia’s youth to horticulture’. Similarly, AUSVEG stated that:
Building stronger training pathways for people interested in a career in horticulture and highlighting the myriad highly skilled career opportunities that are available in the sector will help build a skilled, reliable and efficient workforce and will help improve the profitability and productivity of the horticulture sector.
7.23
An example of attempting to build a pathway between schooling and vocational education was provided by SuniTAFE in Mildura, which is bringing year 10 and 11 students to work at its TAFE training farm.
7.24
Another program linking schools and vocational education is the Workforce Development Program (WDP) being undertaken in north-eastern Victoria by NELLAN and NETRACKS LLEN. The WDP provides Year 9 and 10 students with an introduction to careers in agriculture by linking them with a local agricultural business and undertaking a program which results in them attaining a Certificate II qualification through a local TAFE.
7.25
NELLEN and NETRACKS LLEN emphasised the benefits of introducing agriculture as a career option to school students. In addition, NELLEN and NETRACKS LLEN suggested involving students in a real workplace teaches them soft skills and communication skills that will improve their employment prospects.
7.26
Rather than running as a traditional placement the Workforce Development Program (WDP) introduces a group of students to an organisation and the students remain supervised by a teacher. NELLAN and NETRACKS LLEN stated that in Victoria and New South Wales there is a lack of specialist agriculture teachers and so the WDP had been designed to be able to be run by a science and geography teacher with the agricultural expertise being provided by TAFE and industry mentors.
7.27
The PIEFA advocated for greater funding for developing agriculture curriculum in schools. The PIEFA reported that 20 000 teachers had participated in its programs on food and fibre but noted that it had needed to cut a staff member since the Department of Agriculture’s decision to cease its $75 000 annual contribution.
7.28
Consolidated Pasture Company suggested that another way to introduce students to the opportunities in agriculture would be to create a ‘Rural Industry Career and Training Hub’. The hub could inform ‘students, teachers, parents and employers about the wide range of regional job and training options.’
Tertiary Education
7.29
Cotton Australia also noted that agriculture had ‘begun recruiting a new generation of technologically savvy graduates, a reflection of the modern and diverse career pathways that are emerging’. For this to continue, Cotton Australia emphasised the importance of well-trained teachers who can bring the ‘curriculum to life in regional, rural and remote contexts.’
University Education
7.30
There has been rapid growth in the number of students studying agriculture at some universities, such as the University of Adelaide which has seen its Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences enrolments double between 2014 and 2019. Despite this, overall Australia is not producing enough agriculture graduates to meet demand. In 2018, there were approximately 850 agriculture graduates produced by Australian universities but there were 3653 job vacancies requiring agricultural graduates. Additionally, the number of job vacancies for graduates was increasing rapidly, growing by over 50 per cent between 2015 and 2018.
7.31
Charles Sturt University (CSU), which produces the greatest number of agriculture graduates in Australia, stated that ‘it is clear that we need more agriculture graduates, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin’. CSU also reported that the number of agricultural graduates who are employed four months after course completion is ‘typically more than 10 percentage points higher than for other industries.’
7.32
The University of Sydney agreed that there was a need for more agriculture graduates and stated that there is ‘currently a pipeline issue in attracting students from high school into university agricultural degree programs.’ The University of Sydney added that in order to increase student numbers universities needed to offer more innovative agriculture programs that reflected the ‘multi-disciplinary nature of agriculture’.
7.33
The University of Queensland suggested that there was an inaccurate perspective of the types of skills needed to study agriculture, stating:
Unfortunately, at high school, agriculture is a subject that you send the least academically inclined students to do. They go down to the farm and look after the pigs or whatever. The students we’re trying to attract into agriculture are the ones who are very good at chemistry and physics and maths ... Unfortunately, there’s not the perception by those students that agriculture is ‘high science’, and of course, it is … You’re starting salary is higher than any other area of science. So it should be very attractive. It’s an awareness problem.
7.34
The Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA) called for an increase in the number of scholarships available to students to undertake tertiary agricultural education. Additionally, the ATGA emphasised the importance of locating universities campuses in rural and regional areas stating this allows students to ‘develop the skills at a university at the same time that they are upskilling on the farm’.
Vocational Education
7.35
Skills Impact described the vocational education sector as providing a ‘robust framework of work skills tailored to the agricultural sector’. Skills Impact highlighted one of the challenges in providing vocational training is that funding is provided based on student numbers and so delivering courses in rural and regional areas with smaller numbers of students is very difficult. Skills Impact suggested that one of the methods to reduce expenses could be the development of national training materials.
7.36
Skills Impact added that it was important that there was a link between skills provided by TAFE and local industry needs. SuniTAFE made a similar point, stating:
... the strength of TAFE, as opposed to university, is that you have people with a practical background teaching their skills. For it to be successful, you’ve got to make sure that their skills are in line with what industry needs.
7.37
SuniTAFE added that it was interested in creating new partnerships with universities stating that, ideally, it would have a:
...centre in which university students could come, somewhere where they could stay and somewhere where they could study, you can bring in students to get interested in it, you can train those that who want to just get in there and work, and then you can have research to really extend horticulture going forward.
Professional Development
7.38
Skills Impact stated that helping existing industry personnel to increase their skills was critical to achieving the 2030 vision, adding that agriculture ‘cannot rely on new entrants, migrant workers or young leader’s programs to provide the lift needed within 10 years.’
7.39
Further, Skills Impact pointed out that there are ‘almost 140 000 people in the broader agriculture in the 20 to 50 year age group who are most likely to need access to capacity building over the next decade.’
7.40
The importance of assisting the current generation of farmers to increase their digital skills was emphasised by CSU, which stated ‘we are really conscious that we need to educate the current farmers. It can be the best technology in the world, but if you’re not technology competent and able to use that and understand how to maximise it, it is useless’. CSU added that it does offers training through farming and community groups but that there was a need for training opportunities to be ramped up nationally.
7.41
Many farmers develop skills through a range of informal mechanisms such as learning from employers, parents, peer groups, and via agribusiness when new equipment is purchased. Skills Impact stated that these methods will continue to provide some of the development needed but that the most significant opportunities to lift current skill levels were through formal training. Skills Impact added that this could include ‘micro-credentials, short courses and skill sets so that people can gain just the skills they need when they need them.’
7.42
One method of encouraging skill development is the profession model where workers undertake regular training to maintain their professional accreditation. Citrus Australia commented on this model stating that while there is a ‘Diploma of Horticulture, there is no pathway to becoming a ‘qualified farmer’ as such.’
7.43
CSU stated that a professional association in many cases can ‘cement professionalism’ within the occupation. CSU added that these professional models have generally been urban based where it is easier for professionals to get together but that with the advantages of digital technology it should be possible to setup professional development courses for farmers.
7.44
The University of Sydney stated that there was a need for agriculture to become more professionalised in the coming years, stating:
In order to advise and develop the farm businesses of the future, a high degree of knowledge and training will be required. Being an agriculturalist should not be seen as being any different professionally from being a veterinary scientist, a pharmacist, a lawyer, or any other skilled profession. An Australian professional college with government reinforcement to oversee this transformation is required.
Women and diverse communities in agriculture
7.45
The Roadmap 2030 states that a career in agriculture should be an ‘accessible aspiration for all’ and includes a target for the agricultural workforce to achieve gender parity and there to be a doubling of women in management roles by 2030. The NFF stated that there are a number of successful diversity initiatives underway but that ‘more action is required to promote inclusion of underrepresented communities.’
7.46
Strategic Sustainability Consultants (SSC) raised the issues of gender in agriculture stating that it was ‘important to support our female farmers in Australia and ensure they have equal access to economic and social services as well as land ownership and natural resources as their male counterparts.’ SSC also suggested it was important to value the domestic and unpaid work of farmer’s partners.
7.47
OBE Organic noted the lack of diversity in senior positions in agricultural businesses stating:
... women have long been regarded as being an equal half of family farming partnerships. Indigenous Australians have made a substantial contribution to Australian agriculture. Unfortunately, neither of these contributions are reflected in agriculture’s board rooms and management teams.
7.48
CSU reported positive developments in terms of increasing the number of women in agriculture, stating that it is currently educating more women than men in its agriculture disciplines.
Visa Issues
7.49
Overseas workers provide a significant part of the workforce for a number of agricultural industries. In particular, in horticulture overseas workers make up over one-third of the peak seasonal workforce.
7.50
The ATGA stated that overseas workers were a necessity in its industry as they cannot get any Australian ‘young people to come out and harvest grapes, it just doesn’t happen anymore.’ Similarly, the Murrumbidgee Valley Food and Fibre Association (MVFFA) stated that in the past they had an itinerant workforce that would pick citrus and then move onto other crops but that workforce had now ‘pretty much disappeared.’
7.51
AUSVEG stated that many growers had attempted to access local workers through the Seasonal Worker Incentive Trial but that the performance of these workers had been problematic and ‘the immense time and expense in hiring and managing these workers have destroyed growers’ confidence in being able to access a quality, efficient and effective local workforce for their business.’
7.52
The Red Meat Advisory Council (RMAC) stated that the meat industry is also ‘increasingly turning to overseas sources of labour to fill job vacancies.’ RMAC added that the visa system was not ‘fit for purpose’ and there needed to be better systems for identifying how skill shortages are identified, changes to literacy and occupation requirements, and longer term working visas that offer pathways to permanent residency.
7.53
Overseas workers employed in agriculture are most commonly in Australia under one of four visas: the Working Holiday Maker Program (WHMP); Seasonal Worker Program (SWP); Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS); and the Temporary Skills Shortage visa (TSS).
Pacific Labour Schemes
7.54
DFAT reported that there are two ‘Pacific labour mobility initiatives, the SWP and the PLS.’ DFAT reported that since commencing in 2012, the SWP had brought in 39 000 Pacific workers, primarily in the horticulture sector, while the PLS, which commenced in 2018 and is across all sectors, has to date placed 350 workers.
7.55
AUSVEG stated that while the PLS was still relatively new it ‘could be part of the solution for growers to access a reliable workforce.’ In contrast, AUSVEG identified issues in the other types of visas which reduced their potential benefit to growers.
7.56
AUSVEG stated that workers in the SWP seem to ‘enjoy the work and want to earn as much money as possible before returning home’ but that each worker was limited to a nine month working period meaning that the grower must change over its workforce at the end of the nine month period. In addition, the application process was expensive and there was no guarantee it would deliver workers.
7.57
The MVFFA reported that it was increasingly recruiting workers through the PLS. In comparison to using local workers the PLS is more expensive but provides farmers with the benefit of recruiting workers for a guaranteed amount of time. The MVFFA noted, however, that under the PLS farmers had to guarantee 20 weeks work which could be difficult for smaller farmers.
Temporary Skills Shortage Visa
7.58
Citrus Australia stated that the change from the Temporary Work (Skilled) Visa 457 to the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa 482 had made it more difficult for growers to attract skilled workers from overseas. Citrus Australia explained that ‘migrants may not have a university degree, or the level of experience required to be sponsored, but they do have the interest and the passion, which is the missing factor in Australia.’
7.59
Similarly, AUSVEG noted growers often couldn’t access workers because the skilled occupations list, which guides who is eligible for the TSS, did not match the horticulture industry’s needs. In particular, AUSVEG noted there was no visa available for irrigationists, managers, and production horticulture supervisors.
Working Holiday Maker Visa
7.60
The WHMP entitles visa holders to a second year of a working holiday visa if they undertake an 88-day working period. AUSVEG stated that it was useful for businesses with ‘a short harvest window that are in travel-friendly destinations.’ Despite this AUSVEG noted that many of the workers ‘are not committed to working in horticulture, which can often mean that they are there to ‘tick-the-box’ for the 88-day visa requirement rather than be productive. This is problematic for growers, as they are dealing with an inefficient workforce that needs replacing every three months.’
Dedicated Agricultural Visa
7.61
A number of industry representative groups called for the introduction of a dedicated agriculture visa. The National Farmers’ Federation stated that:
Although the Federal Government has created program to promote the sector to domestic and migrant workers, none address the issue directly, pragmatically or holistically. The introduction of a dedicated ag visa and strategic programs to attract more Australians to a career in agriculture is crucial to meeting the shortfall.
7.62
The ATGA suggested the government ‘develop a reliable supply of labour that will allow dedicated horticultural workers to enter Australia on regulated visas. As such, these workers should only be able to work for employers who abide by a national labour hire licensing scheme.’
7.63
Emma Germano, a horticulture grower who participated in KPMG and the NFF’s Talking 2030 process, stated that a dedicated agriculture visa would help workers feel protected and secure in their employment as well as encouraging ‘greater reliability, return workers, and efficiencies to drive productivity for the industry.’
Other Workforce Issues
Vibrant Regional Communities
7.64
As the vast majority of agriculture takes place in rural and regional areas the economic health of these areas generally have an impact on how many workers are available to work in the agriculture sector.
7.65
The Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association highlighted the challenges that geography can have on the availability of labour, stating that it is ‘increasingly difficult to recruit and maintain [a workforce] in the Northern Territory. The remote, isolated locations of the pastoral properties and the onset of the onshore gas industry contribute to this difficulty.’
7.66
Grain Growers stated that:
... action is required to support and attract small businesses to regional areas, encourage investment in education and health, support skills and job initiatives, and provide community services to enable the simultaneous growth of regional Australia as the agricultural sector grows to $100 billion.
7.67
The Australian Nut Industry Council highlighted the role of rural services in making rural areas attractive locations to live stating that ‘all levels of Government should develop master plans that ensure that by 2030 all regions of Australia have access to the best level of communications, health, education and child care services.’
7.68
The NFF called for an incentive scheme to encourage people to move to regional areas. The NFF noted that currently 80 per cent of migrants to Australia settle in Sydney or Melbourne, while at the same time many regional areas are experiencing population decline. The NFF stated that the migration system should focus on ‘local, not national, population density and need, and encourage migrants to settle in regions through visa incentives that give weight to locating to regional centres.’
7.69
Protected Cropping Australia suggested that greater use of undercover crops was one method of alleviating labour challenges. By growing crops indoors growers can extend the growing season and thus keep workers for longer. In addition, protected crops can be grown closer to urban areas which increases the available labour pool, as the PCA suggested ‘you can get mums who want to work … school hours or people who are prepared to do shift work close to home.’
Succession Planning
7.70
WA Farmers highlighted the difficulties that succession planning can have on farm finances. WA Farmers drew attention to the complexities of splitting the value of the farm between children, asking ‘how do you manage that big chunk of capital that comes out to pay the siblings’ of the child that takes over the farm? WA Farmers added that in order to keep capital within the business many farmers had locked ‘money into strange family tax entities that we’re now trying to unwind 30 and 40 years later to allow the next generation to go farming.’
7.71
WA Farmers suggested that there was a need to look for options for farmers to engage in succession planning without being hit by ‘punitive tax rates.’ WA Farmers added:
Having an option to be able to spread that tax liability over an extended number of years would be helpful; [otherwise] you just encourage the big foreign entities to come in and snap up those properties. The Australian community has a vested interest in relieving the burden of tax structures that were set up a long time ago. They’re still obliged to pay the tax, so can we spread it out over a longer period?
Employment Conditions
7.72
Growcom described labour as horticulturalists ‘biggest input cost’ and ‘where the greatest amount of insecurity comes in any horticulturalist’s business.’ Growcom stated that recent changes to the horticultural award which required the need to pay overtime for work in an excess of 38 hours a week had resulted in negative outcomes for the horticulture industry.
7.73
Growcom argued that ‘there is no margin in horticulture to pay people overtime’, in addition workers were unable to earn additional money by working extra hours and this had resulted in ‘enormous churn in our industry’. Growcom reported that it had undertaken a survey which found that nearly three-quarters of growers had experienced employees voluntarily leaving the industry due to the reduced hours available.
7.74
The Western Australian Government stated that the positive reputation of Australia’s agriculture sector could be put at risk by the ‘small number of businesses which have not complied with Australian labour standards’ and advocated for greater involvement of the Fair Work Ombudsman and Fair Work Commission in the agriculture sector.
7.75
The Australian Fresh Produce Alliance stated that the horticulture sector relies on:
...temporary and seasonal migrant workers to harvest crops. This comes with both a legal and ethical responsibility, and the sector must improve its practices and reputation in this area. This means zero tolerance for the use of illegal workers and the deliberate underpayment of wages.
7.76
The National Farmers’ Federation cautioned against rapid wage growth in the agricultural sector, noting that ‘labour already represents the highest component of the farm’s cash costs.’ The NFF added that Australia ‘must maintain an industrial relations framework that supports the agricultural sector remaining internationally competitive’ and that wage increases must ‘follow productivity and economic growth.’
7.77
The Hazelnut Growers of Australia (HGA) raised concerns around issues relating to workplace awards and conditions in their industry including stating that a push to eliminate piece work rates could result in many smaller businesses being forced to close. In addition, the HGA called for the implementation of a ‘national labour hire system’ that was consistent across state boundaries as it stated ‘restrictive legislation in one state is resulting in pushing labour to the less restrictive states.’
7.78
Similarly, AUSVEG called for the creation of a Federal Government endorsed ‘Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement’, which AUSVEG stated ‘helps businesses get the skilled workforce they require [and] helps the entire horticulture sector increase its productivity and profitability.’
Health and Safety
7.79
KPMG highlighted that ‘farming remains one of the most dangerous professions due to isolation and lack of appropriate access to medical and health services’ and noted that farming records more than 40 fatalities a year (including those related to mental health and suicide).
7.80
The National Farmers’ Federation also emphasised the safety risks inherent in agricultural work, adding that ‘the special nature of the farm, farm work, and the farm workplaces presents unique barriers to “top down” government effected change.’ The NFF stated that the sector should be working towards eliminating farm fatalities and that it was ‘pursuing a grass roots industry lead approach, with support from government.’
7.81
Strategic Sustainability Consultants highlighted that increased physical and mental health risks faced by farmers, stating:
With farmers being exposed to high rates of stress and the possibility of mental health concerns as well as dangers and threats to their physical health in their farming environment, it is vital to invest in the physical and mental health and well-being of our farmers to ensure sustainability of economic agricultural growth.
7.82
The impact of poor seasons, and in particular lengthy droughts, on the mental health of farmers was raised by several participants. Australian Wool Innovation highlighted how the long-term impacts of drought can affect the mental health of farmers, stating:
Parts of Australia have been suffering with the current drought for literally years. It not only takes its toll on the land, livestock and finances, it also affects the mental health of farmers and others in rural communities. By the time the drought breaks, finances are under severe pressure, the paddocks have been destocked and the land can often take years to recover.
7.83
Mr Robert Miller and Narrawilly Dairy stated that when farmers experience financial difficulties their whole family can be affected, noting that ‘droughts, bushfires, and floods put women and children at greater risk of domestic and family violence.’
Committee Comment
7.84
There are few factors that will have a greater impact on Australian agriculture’s ability to reach the target of $100 billion by 2030 than whether businesses will have access to an appropriately sized and skilled workforce.
7.85
The sector faces a number of workforce challenges in the coming decade. Already many industries are facing labour shortages and as farmers are, on average, older than workers in other industries there is a risk that shortages could worsen. Additionally, there are some industries, particularly horticulture, where the harvest cycle lends itself to an itinerant workforce that has become increasingly difficult to supply using Australian workers.
7.86
Crucial to developing the workforce needed in the coming years will be encouraging a diverse range of young people, including an increasing number of women, to choose agriculture as their career of choice. It is vital that students are introduced to agriculture while still at school as they begin to make choices about their future career well before they enter the workforce or begin higher education.
7.87
The Committee was pleased to learn of a number of programs underway to provide school students with an insight into possible careers in agriculture. For example, the Workforce Development Program in north-eastern Victoria, which offers high school classes the opportunity to learn from skilled representatives of the agriculture industry, is an effective program that could be replicated. In addition, the work of the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia in educating teachers about agriculture, and SuniTAFE’s efforts to bridge the gap between high school and TAFE are great examples of how to strengthen agriculture education in schools.
7.88
The skills necessary to succeed in agriculture are changing as digital technologies become increasingly integral components of the production process. Where currently competence in using digital hardware and software can provide a productivity advantage, in the coming decade it will be less an advantage than a requirement necessary to remain competitive.
7.89
Increasingly, universities and the vocational education and training (VET) sector will play an important role in training the next generation of agricultural farm-workers, managers, business owners, service providers, and technology specialists.
7.90
Agriculture graduates enter the workforce with very positive job prospects and above average starting salaries. Despite this, the demand for graduates outstrips supply and so there is a need to increase the number of students moving into tertiary agriculture studies. Possibly, many young people, especially those who do not come from a farming background, have an outdated understanding of what agriculture involves. There is potential to address this by a targeted marketing and promotion campaign focussed at encouraging school students to continue onto agriculture-related studies in university and TAFE.
7.91
Encouraging more young people into agriculture is critical to the industry’s future but providing the existing workforce with the opportunities to increase their skills may have even greater impact in the short term. Similar to many other industries, workers in the agriculture sector need to be adaptable and ensure they regularly update their skills as new technologies and software are introduced into the production process.
7.92
The Committee believes that there could be significant benefit from the introduction of a formal professional development process for the agriculture sector. Other professionalised industries have qualification requirements restricting who is allowed to operate within that profession and ensuring that those qualified professionals undertake regular training to keep their skills updated.
7.93
The introduction of a scheme along these lines would give workers in the agriculture sector a formal career development pathway. Previously, the geographic dispersal of farmers would have made the provision of professional development courses impractical but now these courses can be provided cost-effectively online.
7.94
As the size of agriculture businesses grow a more formalised qualification system will assist both employees and employers identify when a role is suitable for an individual’s skillset. Additionally, a professionalised system can provide a regulated structure that can help ensure that training provided is relevant and high quality.
7.95
While the Committee strongly encourages agricultural businesses to firstly consider Australians whenever they have job opportunities, it is clear that in some industries additional workers from overseas are needed if significant labour shortages are to be avoided.
7.96
Industries such as horticulture require a highly seasonal workforce that is difficult to access from the Australian labour pool. Currently, Australian producers employ overseas workers using at least four types of visas. The Seasonal Worker Programme and the Pacific Labour Scheme are the newest of these visas and grower groups have reported promising results.
7.97
Nevertheless, there was wide support among stakeholders for the establishment of a dedicated agriculture visa. Such a visa would be unlikely to replace existing visas (as they are used by industries beyond the agriculture sector) but it would enable the recruitment of a workforce for the specific purpose of supporting agriculture.
7.98
A dedicated agriculture visa should allow for migrants to work in low skilled positions and apply to stay for at least a year or to regularly return to Australia on a seasonal basis.
7.99
The visa conditions should not be tied to a specific employer, but rather to a specific industry, i.e. horticulture, or a specific region. The purpose for this condition would be to reduce worker exploitation.
7.100
The establishment of such a visa is in line with recommendation 9.94 of the Hidden in Plain Sight - Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia report by the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in December 2017.
7.101
While beyond the scope of this inquiry, the ability of agriculture to attract sufficient workers is affected by whether rural and regional communities are thriving and have access to the services they need. This includes health services, and particularly mental health services, as the agriculture sector is disproportionately affected by mental health impacts. The Committee encourages governments across Australia to continue to invest in regional development as the economic health of local communities and their agricultural industries are closely intertwined.
Recommendations
7.102
The Committee recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, develop a dedicated visa for migrants travelling to Australia to be employed in the agriculture sector in low skilled occupations. The visa should allow for migrants in the agriculture sector to stay in Australia for at least a year or to return to Australia seasonally over multiple years.
7.103
The Committee recommends that the Department of Education, Skills and Employment develop a promotion and marketing campaign aimed at encouraging high school students to actively consider undertaking higher education in agriculture related studies.
7.104
The promotion campaign should be informed by existing successful small‑scale programs such as the Victorian Workforce Development Program. Development of the campaign should be undertaken in collaboration with stakeholders including: relevant state and territory agencies; regional higher education providers; and existing groups promoting an increased focus on agriculture in education.
7.105
The Committee recommends that the Department of Education, Skills and Training, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, and in conjunction with industry, develop a nationally recognised qualification and professional development system for agriculture. This professional accreditation system should provide agriculture specialists with a formal pathway for updating their skills and developing their career in agriculture.