Farmers and agricultural businesses across Cowra and the Central West are being encouraged to consider employing workers from Vanuatu, with Rosnay Organic Wines General Manager Sam Statham highlighting the benefits the arrangement can bring to local employers, seasonal workers and their communities back home.

With agriculture continuing to play a vital role in the Cowra district and across the Central West, access to reliable seasonal workers remains an important issue for many farms and agricultural businesses.

At Rosnay Organic Wines, Sael and Florence Malai, have been members of the farm's staff for the past 20 years.

The couple have also played an important role in connecting young people from their island community with opportunities through the seasonal work program on farms across the Cowra district.

Mr Statham said workers from Vanuatu were helping fill labour needs while earning an income that could make a significant difference to their families and communities when they returned home.

“There’s lots of people over in Vanuatu who want to come over here,” Mr Statham said.

He said he was keen to connect with more farmers and agricultural employers throughout Cowra and the wider Central West who may need workers for periods of several months.

The arrangement provides local employers with access to workers while giving Vanuatu participants the opportunity to earn money and return home with skills and financial support for their families and communities.

“They make good money, then they go home and make their house, they build their house or they go to university,” Mr Statham said.

“It really gives them a good start in life and really improves their village.”

Mr Statham said the benefits could extend well beyond the individual worker, with money earned in Australia helping support families and contribute to the development of villages in Vanuatu.

For agricultural businesses in Cowra and surrounding districts, the program also offers a potential solution to seasonal workforce shortages.

Mr Statham said he was interested in hearing from farmers and employers who may require additional workers for periods of around three months or other seasonal arrangements.

The workers are employed through temporary work arrangements, with Mr Statham emphasising the importance of ensuring participants are properly supported and receive fair working conditions.

“They get looked after properly and they’re not exploited,” he said.

The Cowra district is already home to workers from Vanuatu, who contribute to the region's agricultural workforce and become part of the wider community during their time in Australia.

Mr Statham said the program represented a positive example of how seasonal migration could benefit regional communities while also creating opportunities for workers and their families.

“These working arrangements are really positive,” he said.

Mr Statham said the experience of hiring Vanuatu workers on a temporary work VISA in regional communities demonstrated how the right arrangements could benefit everyone involved.

“It’s good for everybody,” he said.

With more people in Vanuatu interested in coming to Australia for seasonal work, Mr Statham hopes more farmers and agricultural businesses across Cowra and the Central West will consider providing employment opportunities.

The model, he said, has the potential to help local producers meet their workforce needs while providing Vanuatu workers with opportunities to earn an income, gain experience and return home better able to support their families and communities.