Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and the Victorian Farmers Federation have urged the Victorian government to immediately tap into a supply of 22,000 pre-approved Pacific Island workers who could cover a critical seasonal worker shortage on farms.
Amid finger-pointing between the state and federal governments, federal Nationals MP Damian Drum, whose electorate covers the Goulburn Valley region, warned Victoria had “days, not weeks” to avoid fruit rotting on trees and the prospect of inflated produce prices or shortages over the summer.
