Overseas workers play a small but important part in the Australian agriculture sector. Many agricultural industries are characterised by seasonal work, harvesting perishable goods destined for domestic and international markets. These industries are commonly located in regional or remote areas where demand for labour is high during peak seasons and labour supply is limited. Recent experience with the mining boom confirms that Australian agriculture also faces strong domestic competition for labour with other sectors of the economy. Redressing this imbalance through use of overseas workers is hugely important – it means that what is grown can be harvested and sold, not left to perish.
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