Morrison tackles farm job shortage by relaxing backpacker, Pacific Islander visas

NEWS: Farmers groups and the Nationals have demanded more foreign workers to help growers tackle the harvest season.

The Morrison government will loosen restrictions on two schemes that bring temporary farm workers into Australia, after months of pressure from the farming lobby and warnings fruit would rot on trees unless a labour solution was found.  

The move comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison begins a tour of Queensland this week.

While the Farmer’s Federation and the Nationals had been calling for a new agricultural visa, the government will instead loosen restrictions on two existing visas: the working backpacker visa and the Pacific islander scheme.

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