The move is led by Opposition Agricultural Minister Ed Husic, who is hoping for an urgent meeting of state and federal ministers to address the crisis.
In a letter to Agricultural Minister David Littleproud, Husic called on the federal government to respond to the nationwide shortage of more than 26,000 farmworkers.
“The states and territories have taken steps to provide farmers with workers,” Husic wrote in the letter seen by AAP.
“But they shouldn’t be forced to manage problems of this magnitude on their own–and then be disparaged by federal counterparts for not doing enough or doing too little, too late.”
Husic, who believes the Commonwealth government is constitutionally responsible for the borders and quarantine, said the Coalition’s lack of a specific agriculture strategy is part of the problem.
But Littleproud says the state governments wanted their own quarantine protocols to vet workers, and have lacked the initiative to follow up on their responsibilities.
However, Littleproud has continued to pledge support for states with labour shortages so long as quarantine protocols are in place.
“Over the last 12 months, the federal government has not just provided incentives for Australians to take these jobs, but has extended visas of those already here and found an additional 25,000 Pacific workers if they worked in agriculture,” Littleproud told AAP on Thursday.
Husic though believes this is not enough and is calling on the minister to organise an Agriculture Ministers Forum (AGMIN) to find an adequate solution to the growing crisis that is costing millions in the sector.
Last year the government launched farmhand’s relocation programs to incentivise Australians to move to the regional areas to fill the shortages
In an email to The Epoch Times, Growcom, a Queensland based horticulture organisation said that current crop losses due to the worker shortage has reached $43 million (US$33.2 million), according to figures from the National Crop Lost Register.
