Australia opens door to Vietnamese agricultural workers

This is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two Governments to support Vietnamese citizens to work in the agricultural industry in Australia.

A document to this effect was signed on March 1 between Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) Nguyen Ba Hoan and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski, and was announced in Canberra on March 7 during Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s Australia visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Hoan said that Australia has a developed economy and modern agriculture, and bilateral cooperation on labour will help Vietnamese workers get good incomes, guaranteed working conditions, and opportunities to learn advanced knowledge, skills, and science and technology. At the same time, labour cooperation in this field will meet the needs of human resources, bringing benefits to both countries.

Several agencies and units will be allowed to recruit workers to work in Australia's agricultural production sector. Australia will coordinate with Vietnam to identify, approve and announce the list of eligible units and enterprises to participate in the PALM scheme.

According to the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry, Australia lacks about 30,000 workers each year in horticulture alone. Its livestock, meat processing, dairy, and agricultural packaging industries are also facing labour shortages. Therefore, the signed document is expected to help Australian farms and local businesses to address the shortage of human resources in the agricultural industry..