Agricultural Workforce

Statistics from the May 2022 Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Survey show the Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector employer approximately 280,000 people. The total value of the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors is forecast to be $86,2 billion in 2022-23, with $80.4 billion forecast for the agriculture alone. The sector aims to achieve $100 billion in farm gate output by 2030.

Current measures

The government is continuing to invest in and support the agricultural sector secure, skill and build its workforce.

Attracting workers to agriculture

$25.2 million provided over 4 years for AgATTRACT. AgATTRACT aims to shift perceptions of agriculture work and showcase the diverse career opportunities on offer.

AgATTRACT provides:

• $5.1 million in administered funding for AgCAREERSTART pilot – a structured and supported gap year in agriculture for school leavers
• $7.3 million in administered funding for AgUP pilot – a grants program to support industry-led projects that create opportunities for upskilling and career progression
• $1.3 million in administered funding for research on community views and worker experiences of the agriculture sector
• $1.5 million for ABARES to improve agriculture labour forecasting
• $4.2 million for the Australian Bureau of Statistics to update agriculture occupations in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations and to get a better picture of agriculture workers
• $2.7 million for the National Careers Institute to ensure career information reflects modern agriculture occupations with the development of an up-to-date map of careers and pathways.

Helping agricultural employers

$4.6 million provided over 4 years for AgFAIR. AgFAIR will help agricultural employers:

• adopt best practice workforce management and planning practices
• attract and retain employees.

AgFAIR provides:

• $3.2 in administered funding million to support the roll out and fast-track the uptake of the Fair Farms program
• Just under $1 million to procure practical resources to support agriculture employers to implement modern workforce management and planning practices.

The Budget investment also includes funding for the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, the National Careers Institute and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to deliver the measures.

This investment will help support the sector build towards its $100 billion Ag2030 target.

Pacific Australia Labour Mobility

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from nine Pacific islands and Timor-Leste when there are not enough local workers available. Through the PALM scheme, eligible businesses (including eligible labour hire companies) can recruit workers for seasonal jobs for up to nine months or for longer-term roles for between one and four years in unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled positions.

The PALM scheme is highly valued by Australia and the Pacific and Timor-Leste and helps to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia by offering employers access to a pool of reliable, productive workers. It also allows Pacific and Timor-Leste workers to take up jobs in Australia, develop their skills and send income home to support their families and communities.

For further information see the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade PALM website.

Visas available to support the agricultural workforce

In addition to the PALM scheme, a range of visa options are available to support employers across a broad range of agricultural industries in accessing workers across various skill levels. More information is available on the Department of Home Affairs’ website.

Better data

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES) publishes data on farm labour.

See estimates of labour use in Australian agriculture.

Job classifications

In 2021, the department partnered with the Australian Bureau of Statistics to deliver a targeted update of agriculture occupations in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). The targeted update, released on 23 November 2021 following extensive industry consultation, implements over 100 recommended changes across 20 professional categories.

Changes to ANZSCO will ensure that key data underpinning government policies and programs better reflects the modern agriculture workforce.

Strategy and Roadmap

The National Agriculture Labour Advisory Committee’s report – National Agricultural Workforce Strategy: Learning to excel, and the Australian Government Roadmap to attract, retain, upskill and modernise the agriculture workforce were released in March 2021.

The Australian Government Response to the National Agricultural Workforce Strategy: Learning to excel was released in December 2021.

See National Agriculture Workforce Strategy, Roadmap and Government Response.