Australia's largest agriculture employer looking to employ about 280 Fijians in the coming months

Australia's largest agriculture and horticulture employer, AgriExchange Pty Ltd or Costas is looking to employ about 280 Fijians in the coming months and are back in the country for the fourth time this week to conduct medical tests, job interviews and job tests.

Permanent Secretary for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Osea Cawaru says Costas will be recruiting about 150 Fijians to work in the citrus farms and 60 to 70 Fijians for harvesting in the coming months.

He says the majority of the workers that have been selected by Costas are returning workers, who have been employed in previous years.

Cawaru further says they are looking at expanding their recruitment size in the coming months with a heavy focus on community outreach, to identify suitable candidates.

The Permanent Secretary also thanked the Australian Government and the employer for choosing to recruit from Fiji.

The President and Chief Executive Officer for the Pacific Islands Council of South Australia, Tukini Tavui says the Council focuses on connecting and developing the Pacific Island community in South Australia through various empowerment initiatives as well as support to Australian employers and the Pacific Labor Facility on the training and capacity building of seasonal workers.

Fijians that have been recruited by Costas are based in Renmark, South Australia where they are picking and packing citrus fruits.