Young Australians on JobSeeker could be get incentives to work on regional farms

Unemployed Australians could be offered financial incentives to take up regional harvest work in the federal budget to be handed down next week.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Chambers Flat Strawberry Farm Source: AAP

The federal budget due on Tuesday will likely include measures to help plug labour shortages in the farm sector threatening the harvest of fruit and vegetables.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud wants jobless Australians to "have a crack" at picking fruit and vegetables.

"So we're working through some measures that could be announced very soon around incentivising Australians who are on JobSeeker, but also Youth Allowance recipients, to look at measures and opportunities for them," he told The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.