Farm labour shortage hits some harder than others, while governments disagree on responsibility

Increasingly having to abandon unpicked crops, farmers in some states have entered the new year with little progress on securing additional workers from the Pacific Islands to help with their harvests.

Frustration is building in states where no progress has been made, with not all state, territory and federal governments agreeing on the path forward.

Growers traditionally use local labour, supplemented with backpackers or seasonal workers flown in from…