Call to ramp-up Pacific workers program

There are calls for the federal government to ramp up a Pacific seasonal workers program if it goes ahead with the controversial backpacker tax.

The so-called backpacker tax would provide scope to ramp-up a program for Pacific workers to fill agricultural labour shortages, a leading academic says.

The federal government has delayed the tax measure until January 1, 2017 pending a ministerial review amid concerns about a shortage of seasonal workers.

"They are much more productive than backpackers because they are used to hard work ... they're a much more reliable workforce," Australian National University development expert Stephen Howes told AAP on Friday.