Australia's peak farm body has rejected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's assertion that the federal government has struck the right balance between cutting immigration and the economic cost of its visa restrictions, saying the changes were made without consulting agriculture.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told the National Press Club last week that agriculture and fisheries would be added to the priority list under Ministerial Direction 119 so that growers had access to harvest workers. But Working Holiday Maker visa processing would be "stabilised" at three months, skilled visas would proceed at normal speed, and the WHM program would gain a ballot and caps for backpackers returning for a second and third year.

Mr Albanese told the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday that net overseas migration had already been cut by 45 per cent and that the government wanted to stop "visa hopping", while acknowledging that farmers "need the workers to come in if they are going to have their crops picked" and pointing to the PALM scheme for Pacific workers.

National Farmers' Federation president Hamish McIntyre said the NFF was not given the proposals before Mr Burke's announcement and "wasn't privy to any of the detail". Working Holiday Makers, he said, can make up to 80 per cent of the horticultural workforce at peak harvest, and about 26 per cent of red-meat businesses rely on backpackers in busy periods. "Any reduction in workforce availability creates workplace health and safety risks as farmers and family members work extra hours, and can pull back production," he said.

"The NFF supports a well-managed migration system, but we do not believe these changes have struck the right balance for agriculture," Mr McIntyre said, adding that farmers were already reporting effects on workforce availability, productivity and confidence and that the NFF was taking examples "straight from the paddock, packing shed, cotton gin and dairy" to policymakers, alongside tourism, hospitality and small-business groups.

Mr Albanese said the government had sought stronger measures by legislation but lacked Senate support and so used regulation, insisting the Opposition had been properly consulted. Shadow home affairs minister Jonno Duniam said the Coalition had not been given specific legislation and that the WHM changes appeared to have been made without assessing their cost to agriculture, when overseas workers can account for about half the casual workforce at peak harvest. Terry Sim reported for Sheep Central and Beef Central.

Source: Beef Central