New Zealand and Australia should be co-operating to recruit seasonal Pacific workers, instead of competing, said Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Peter Silcock.

As reported on stuff.co.nz, the Australia National Farmers' Federation (NFF) said this week that about 100,000 more workers were needed in the rural sector, and called on the industry to recruit from the Pacific.

New Zealand brings in seasonal labour from Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Kiribati.

But Silcock has expressed his hope Australia will target workers from other Pacific islands with high unemployment, such as the Solomon Islands.

“We would be concerned if Australia targeted the same nations on which we have focused. Australia and New Zealand need to take a co-operative approach. We could learn a lot from each other, and work together to spread the benefits through more of the South Pacific.”

Chris Evans, the Australian immigration minister, is reportedly considering introducing a similar scheme to New Zealand’s, which was introduced following allegations that up to 80 per cent of seasonal labour providers had been operating unlawfully.