More than 2000 Pacific Nation workers have come to Queensland over the last seven months to plug worker shortages in the agricultural sector. 

This is despite the unemployment rate in the Lockyer Valley standing at 7.2 per cent in December last year.

Farmers have reported local Australian workers walking off the job after just a matter of hours, still demanding to be paid.

Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development Mark Furner said in a statement to Neil Breen hundreds more workers are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. (See the full statement below)

“I suppose we’ve got to do something, don’t we?” Neil said.

“Otherwise when you go to buy your groceries, it just won’t be there.”

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Read the statement provided to Neil Breen by Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development Mark Furner below: 

“The Government is facilitating quarantine arrangements of workers under the federal Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Worker Programme.

“More than 2,000 Pacific nation workers have come to Queensland since the program recommenced in October 2020 with hundreds more expected to arrive in coming weeks.”

Image: Getty