Sylvester Lepi was a subsistence farmer in Papua New Guinea when he joined the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme in 2019.
Like many Papua New Guineans, he was highly capable, hardworking and knew a lot about growing food – but had never worked on an Australian farm.
Now, after four years as a farmhand in Far North Queensland, he has developed a wide range of new skills and is one of the business’ most valued employees, where, along with 10 other workers from PNG, he performs general duties, such as planting, packing and harvesting.
“I've learnt to drive and operate machinery, I know about irrigation now, and when new workers come, I help show them how to do the job,” Sylvester says.

PNG is Australia’s closest neighbour and has a wealth of strong, capable and reliable workers who are keen to work in Australia.
As the most populous country in the Pacific after Australia, it offers Australian employers the chance to build long-term relationships that meet their ongoing labour needs.
Ironbark Citrus in the North Burnett region is another Queensland farm which has seen the benefits of recruiting from PNG.
It was one of the first to participate in Australia’s Pacific labour mobility program and PNG workers formed the backbone of their workforce from the beginning.
“These workers come with a history and culture of subsistence farming. They have that understanding of how to grow things, and that forms a foundation and innate understanding of farming,” owner Susan Jenkin says.

Almost all of Ironbark Citrus’ PNG workers return season after season. This is because they always get plenty of work, which means they can earn and save more money to send home.
Susan also attributes their return rate to cultural similarities between Australia and PNG, including a shared sense of humour and a love of rugby league.
Director of PNG’s labour mobility unit, Hakaua Harry, invited PALM scheme employers in Australia’s tree cropping sector to come and see the positive impacts of labour mobility on communities across the country.
“Papua New Guinea is an amazing country with hundreds of languages and cultures. We have more than a hundred staff throughout the country waiting to assist employers with the selection process and ensure the right people are put forwards for consideration,” she explained.
PALM scheme employers can visit the PNG Labour Mobility Unit website to learn more about recruiting from Papua New Guinea.