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FGT welcomes new agriculture visa proposals and UK trade deal
Fruit Growers Tasmania | Tuesday, 22 June 2021, 1.00pm
FGT welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement of a new Agricultural Visa to help fill the ongoing labour shortage.
The new agricultural visa, announced last week by the Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud, will be open to people from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brunei, the ten countries of the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations).
We hope that alongside the Seasonal Worker Programme and the Pacific Labour Scheme this will provide a sustainable source of motivated workers for our growers into the future.
FGT also welcomes the proposed Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the UK. The agreement is the first major post-Brexit free trade agreement brokered since the UK left the European Union in January 2020.
Once finalised it should allow Australian fruit exporters to the UK to compete on a level playing field with other southern hemisphere exporters such as Chile and South Africa. The new trade agreement will remove the tariff barriers and create new opportunities for Australian growers in an existing, higher-value market.
Raising the age limit for working holiday visas to 35 will also hopefully bring more backpackers into Australia and the agriculture-specific visa will also allow people from the UK to work on farms in Australia.
