AusVeg calls for 'drastic changes' to help Riverina farmers find workers following COVID-19 restrictions

AusVeg public affairs manager Tyson Cattle said the government needed to intervene to help make up a shortfall of more than 20,000 overseas workers blocked from entering the country by coronavirus restrictions.

"We need some pretty drastic changes. Just before Christmas, the last sitting week, we [visited] parliament house pushing for an expansion of the trans-Tasman bubble with about nine of the COVID-19-free Pacific nations," he said.

Mr Cattle said farmers "would love to employ Australians" but haven't seen a significant increase in domestic workers applying for horticultural labour.

Cherry grower Tina Eastlake said recruiting farm workers had been more difficult this year than ever before.

"We were definitely concerned. We actually made a decision to up our [piece work] rate to encourage people to come out," she said.

Mrs Eastlake is now less than a week away from finishing the harvest with just enough staff to get by.

Blueberry farmer Molly Crozier said she had been contacted in 2020 by contractors looking to place people in jobs, which she said said hadn't happened before.

She said her farm Jolly Berries was fortunate to have shifted "a couple of years ago" from hiring more transient overseas workers to using a reliable contractor.

"We also invested in a grading machine just in case we couldn't get enough workers. For 12 years we hand packed everything," she said.

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Some farmers have clashed with unions over horticultural work, with the latter claiming the industry is rife with exploitation that acts as a disincentive for out-of-work Australians.

The Australian Workers' Union this month applied to the Fair Work Commission to amend the Horticulture Award, to ensure all farm workers earn at least $24.80 per hour even if they are being paid according to how much fruit they pick.

AWU general secretary Daniel Walton said the changes would "help drive down youth unemployment" in regional Australia.

NSW agriculture minister Adam Marshall said his government's "Help Harvest" website, introduced to guide residents looking for seasonal employment with farmers during the pandemic, had been accessed more than 50,000 times.

"We cannot afford to let slip the opportunities presented by the improved seasonal conditions, and I will continue to work hand-in-glove with farmers to ensure they have the support they need," he said.