Crisis in farming sees workers turning to mining

The farming industry is losing workers to mining. Source: AFP

SOUTH Australia's farming industry is battling a skills and labour shortage as well as an image problem.

And now workers are heading for the mines, the state's peak farmers group says.

Farming cannot compete with mining for wages and is suffering from poor perceptions, the SA Farmers Federation has told a federal parliamentary inquiry into the primary industries skills shortage.

"Because agriculture is usually talked down, it regrettably and unjustifiably has a poor image," the federation says. "There has been plenty of negative press that has hampered the enthusiasm for people to want their children to have a life in agriculture."

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