Statement on delay of IR Bill
Comments attributable to NFF Chief Executive, Tony Mahar We thank the Coalition and members of the Senate crossbench who today pumped the brakes on the Government’s ill-conceived industrial relations bill. The Senate and the Australian public deserve the opportunity to review and debate what is little more than a union wish list that will do […]
Burke’s IR reforms a ticket to productivity paralysis
The National Farmers’ Federation is calling for a rethink of the latest industrial relations reforms to shift the focus from pleasing the unions to lifting productivity. NFF Vice President David Jochinke said the package announced today was a recipe for cost and confusion that would only benefit power hungry unions. “This isn’t about serving the […]
Migration missteps coming 1 July will fuel food prices
The National Farmers’ Federation is warning that changes to Australia’s migration settings coming into effect this Saturday could push food prices higher as farmers struggle to access workers to harvest produce. NFF President Fiona Simson said the Government needed to urgently reverse a deteriorating workforce environment for farmers. “This Saturday the starting gun fires on […]
NFF hosts agriculture’s next female leaders
The next wave of female leaders in agriculture have met in the nation’s capital to kickstart their journey with the Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program. The National Farmers’ Federation welcomed the 2023 cohort to Canberra for the initiative’s three-day introductory retreat. The program, now in its sixth year, is designed to create a clear pathway […]
Significant labour shortages across food supply chain weighing on growth, cost of living
Australia’s top peak food industry bodies, which calculated the food supply chain was short at least 172,000 workers, from paddock to plate, before the Jobs & Skills Summit last September say limited progress is now weighing on both GDP growth, and the cost of household’s weekly shop. Figures released yesterday confirm Australia’s GDP growth has […]
Rudderless PALM on the road to ruin
The NFF Horticulture Council has today rung the alarm bells loud and clear that the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is now heading toward calamity. Consultation has just closed on a series of dramatic changes to the rules and requirements placed on employers that will see many of them walk away from the scheme. […]
12 women announced to help close agriculture’s gender gap
Australian agriculture is creating positive change towards gender diversity and the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has a new cohort of women ready to make their mark as future leaders. NFF President Fiona Simson today announced the next 12 women who’ve been selected for the NFF’s Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program. “Applications for this year’s program confirms […]
Statement on reappointment of Mick Keogh
Comments attributable to NFF Vice President David Jochinke The NFF welcomes the reappointment of Mick Keogh as Deputy Chair of the ACCC. Mick Keogh has played a key role as a strong advocate for Australian farmers and small businesses, ensuring they are fairly treated under Australian competition law. The work of the Australian Competition and […]
Farmers plead for visa solutions following Migration Review
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) welcomes the Government’s review of the migration system, which represents a critical juncture that must be capitalised on to produce real and constructive changes, that consider the needs of the agriculture industry. NFF Chief Executive Officer Tony Mahar said the industry had long called for a purpose-built migration system designed […]
Workforce Summit hears from food supply chain on cost-of-living pressures
A national Agrifood Workforce Summit held in Brisbane has heard that without urgent attention, workforce issues in the supply chain would continue to put upward pressure on food prices for Australians. The Summit – jointly hosted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) on Thursday – brought together […]