The National Farmers Federation signed a memorandum of understanding with the Minerals Council and the Government last year, agreeing to work together on critical labour shortage challenges.

NFF workplace and corporate relations manager, Denita Wawn, said this week the pilot projects were still in the early stages but would soon be canvassing industry recommendations to help further ideas for job-sharing between the two industries.

The projects have already trialled ideas which provide flexibility for farmers to go mining, but be granted leave to work on the farm in busy periods like harvesting or shearing.

Farmers are also being allowed to try one week on, one week off.

Ms Wawn said these types of arrangements are helping both sectors – farmers, particularly those needing extra income to compensate for drought losses, are able to enjoy the high wages paid by the mining sector but not leave farming altogether.

She said mining companies are also keen on these and similar concepts to keep feeding their continual workforce hunger.

Ms Wawn said the mining sector has always had higher wages and agriculture often finds it hard to compete, but big companies have found they can keep people from the agricultural sector working longer in mining if they are flexible.

She said such arrangements also ensure that when those workers leave the mining sector, it's highly likely they return full-time to farming.

"There's been a lot of focus on how these two sectors attract workers, but there needs to be a focus on how we also retain them," Ms Wawn said.

NFF will shortly release a labour shortage action plan which it will present to government next month.

SOURCE: Rural Press National News Service, Parliament House Bureau, Canberra.