Urquhart, Sen Anne

Senator URQUHART (Tasmania—Opposition Whip in the Senate) (15:38): I inform the chamber that Senator Ciccone will also sponsor the motion. At the request of Senators McCarthy and Ciccone, I move: That the Senate— (a) acknowledges that: (i) Northern Territory (NT) farmers are at crisis point, facing a shortage of mango pickers for the imminent mango season, (ii) the NT mango harvest is worth $125 million to the NT economy and plant-based industries combined are worth $355 million, (iii) the NT is the country's largest grower of mangoes, producing around 52% of the national mango crop, (iv) between 2,200 and 2,500 workers are required for the mango picking season in the NT, (v) worker shortages of seasonal workers have been exacerbated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic limiting national and international travel, and (vi) the National Farmers' Federation warned the Morrison Government, pre-COVID, that 'agriculture's workforce deficit is one of the largest constraints to our sector's productivity growth and we need solutions for agriculture to reach its potential of being a $100 billion industry by 2030'; and (b) calls on the Government to urgently act to come up with creative and innovative solutions to support farmers facing this seasonal worker crisis.