The cost of fruit could increase if Tasmania's agriculture sector can't find enough skilled labour to fill positions traditionally occupied by foreign workers, says Fruit Growers Tasmania.
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FGT board member Brent McClintock said growers are concerned there will not be enough casual labourers to fill the void left by a reduction in backpackers.
He said the industry was also facing a shortage of skill workers to work on farms year round.
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"Everyone is quite concerned going forward about how many people we are going to have to harvest our crops, thin our crops and in general work on the orchards long term," Mr McClintock said.
Labor spokesperson for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Water Shane Broad urged the government to support their Ag Kickstarter plan.
He said the plan would help up-skill Tasmanians so they can have long careers in the agricultural sector.
"[The policy] is all about giving people right skills to walk on to any farm and be able to start safely - that way they can take on quite significant roles on farms and they can fill that gap," Dr Broad said.
"We think it is a great time for government to consider this proposal and put it in front of their recovery task force because it could provide huge opportunities for people to get into agriculture."
Minister for Primary Industries and Water Guy Barnett said the government had been engaging with key stakeholders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said he was not worried about food security in Tasmania.
"We actually grow two to three times more than what we require here in Tasmania ... I absolutely can assure Tasmanians of our food supply now and into the future," Mr Barnett said.
Minister for Education and Training Jeremy Rockliff said the government was already delivering a wide range of projects to enhance skills in the agricultural sector.
He said this included developing a workforce development plan, contributing to the development of a national workforce development plan, a school based cadetship program and subsidising training in the area.
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