The delay in issuing visas to participants of the Working Holiday program threatens Australian agriculture.

Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke has confirmed that the processing of WHM visa applications is slower than previously. Against the backdrop of ongoing discussions regarding changes to migration policy, the government has suspended the acceptance of applications from citizens of 24 countries. A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs stated that the reforms to the program are aimed at managing demand and ensuring a fairer distribution of visas, and also promised to continue working with stakeholders to meet labour force needs, including in the agricultural sector.

Farmers and community organizations, in particular the charity group BlazeAid, are calling on the government to reconsider this decision. According to BlazeAid CEO Melissa Jones, the shortage of seasonal workers could negatively affect farm recovery after natural disasters, as well as the life of rural communities, where visiting workers contribute to the local economy. In turn, a potato producer from South Australia, Terry Buckley, emphasized the indispensability of this workforce during the periods of seed material preparation and harvesting.

The government proposes using the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) program as the primary instrument for the agricultural sector. However, industry representatives, including Richard Shannon from the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) and the director of the company Manbulloo, Marie Piccone, note that these programs are not interchangeable: they meet different needs and serve different functions. Marie Piccone added that recruiting workers under the PALM scheme is significantly more expensive and requires more complex administration than hiring holders of Working Holiday visas or local residents.

Agricultural unions warn that labour shortages amidst rising production costs pose a threat to the country's food security and could lead to an increase in prices for fresh fruit and vegetable produce in supermarkets. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has not yet provided guarantees that participants of the Working Holiday program will be excluded from the planned reduction in migration quotas, whereas the leader of the National Party, Matt Canavan, has previously stated that such restrictions are unacceptable due to the critical importance of these workers for rural areas.