THE current debate around immigration in Australia and how it could impact visa programs that agriculture relies on, has been a popular topic of conversation at a number of red meat industry events in the last three months.

“I am not sure if people understand the implications when they say they don’t want immigration,” Melissa Fletcher from Fletcher International Exports said at the Intercollegiate Meat Judging National Conference last month.

“Labour is one of the biggest things for the processing industry and we are a small population.

“Whether it’s the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme or Australian workers, we need people, regardless of how much innovation and technology we have, we still need people in the room.

“So I worry about labour and how politics could jeopardise the workforce programs. That scares me.”

The meat industry is now the largest manufacturing employer in Australia, employing 67,000 people, which includes approximately 20,000 migrant workers, according to the Australian Meat Industry Council.

“Australia’s meat processing sector relies on overseas workers to help address chronic workforce shortages, particularly in regional and rural communities where attracting and retaining labour remains a significant challenge,” Jemma Harper, AMIC’s General Manager Corporate Affairs said.

“These workers are critical to maintaining processing capacity, supporting livestock supply chains and ensuring a reliable food supply.”

Ms Harper said the migrant labour programs complement the industry’s ongoing commitment to recruiting, training and retaining Australian workers.

“The PALM scheme and skilled migration pathways, including the Meat Industry Labour Agreement (MILA), are among the most important workforce programs for our sector,” she said.

“These pathways help processors fill roles that have proven difficult to recruit for locally, including skilled meatworkers, boners, slicers, slaughterers and butchers.

“Access to skilled migration and labour mobility programs remains essential to the ongoing viability of many meat businesses and the communities they support.

“The ability to supplement our workforce with migrant labour is necessary to maintain capacity and production. Livestock processing is critical to producer livelihoods and our ability to feed people.”

Feedlots have become increasingly reliant on overseas workers

The question was raised at the Protein 2026 conference in May, if agriculture should be standing up against anti-immigration, given the industry’s reliance on overseas workers.

The room was filled with representatives from a number of intensive animal industries as well as grains.

“We need immigration or we will be in a lot of trouble. Immigration is vital for the ag sector and without it, I would hate to see what the cost of goods would be or where industry would be,” Kelli McDougall, Partner of recruitment agency Agri Talent responded at the event.

The question was asked to a panel which included lotfeeder Bryce Camm, Chief Executive Officer of Camm Agricultural Group.

“The agricultural sector would crumble and fail tomorrow without a foreign labour force lifting us up,” Mr Camm said.

“I would hate to think what would happen in the intensive animal industries. We would not function, is the reality.”

The flow on benefits of bringing overseas workers to regional communities for agricultural jobs was also highlighted in the discussion.

“The second largest demographic in the Western Downs Regional Council area is now people from the Philippines,” Mr Camm said.

“There are now multiple generations in this area who came here for agricultural jobs, who moved their families here and their families are contributing to our society.”

The Australian Lot Feeders Association (ALFA) has lobbied for easier migration pathways to employ both skilled and unskilled workers.

“Feedlots contribute more than $4.6 billion to the Australian economy and employs 2,000 people directly and 30,000 indirectly,” an ALFA submission paper on regional migration said.

“The feedlot industry requires employees that not only have skills sought through formal qualifications, but those that have skills gained through practical experience and a passion for livestock.

“Skilled and knowledgeable people are vital for the successful operation of a feedlot.

“It is important that the Regional Migration Setting provide pathways for skilled and unskilled workers to enter and stay within the feedlot industry.”

The Federal Government’s review of Regional Migration Settings has not yet been finalised despite the Migration Strategy first being released for review in 2023.