Proposed working holiday visa changes could leave Australia’s mango industry short of the workers needed to harvest its crop, with growers warning that consumers may face higher prices as fruit is left on trees.
The Northern Territory Government estimates the Top End mango harvest could be almost 1,000 workers short, potentially leaving 70 per cent of the crop unpicked. The territory supplies about half of Australia’s mangoes, with harvesting taking place from September to December.
Federal Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced plans to reduce the cap on second-year working holiday visas from 57,000 to 45,000 and cut third-year visas from 31,000 to 5,000.
Backpackers would also have to enter a ballot for the chance to stay in Australia for more than a year. The changes are expected to result in about 38,000 fewer second- and third-year backpackers than in 2026.
Trevor Dunmall, chief executive of Australian Mangoes, said the sector relied on a readily available workforce to pick and pack fruit during the harvest season.
“We’re really concerned that growers will not be able to pick the fruit and there will be less fruit available … for Australian consumers and those consumers around the world who love Australian mangoes,” he said.
Mr Dunmall said it remained unclear how the changes would affect this year’s harvest, but added that 2027 was a particular concern. He said backpacker fruit pickers did not intend to stay in Australia and that the federal government had handled the migration debate poorly.
NT Agriculture Minister Gerard Maley said the Top End needed about 3,500 workers during the harvest and faced a shortage of nearly 1,000. He said close to one million trays could be left unpicked, threatening the $128 million industry.
“This isn’t just a number on a spreadsheet, it’s fruit left rotting on trees, income lost by growers, fewer jobs in regional communities and less economic activity flowing through the territory,” Mr Maley said.
He estimated that about 70 per cent of the harvest could be left to rot, costing up to $27 million. Mangoes are also commercially grown in Queensland, Western Australia and northern New South Wales.
NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo called on federal Labor MPs to secure an exemption for the territory, saying the government would show “a complete lack of regard for the Northern Territory” if it failed to provide a carve-out.
