After initially slamming the federal government's response to labour shortages, the National Farmers' Federation is now urging farmers to register their needs in a fresh bid for a new visa.
Earlier in the month, NFF president Fiona Simson called the National Harvest Labour Information Service survey a "shallow response to a deep problem".
But buoyed by reassurances the government still intends to introduce an agriculture visa in the medium to long-term, Ms Simson is calling on farmers to use the register to prove why overseas workers are needed.
"Our strong preference is to see Australians filling Aussie farm jobs," Ms Simson said on Tuesday.
"However, lots of farm work is labour intensive, not available all year around and therefore not suited to some Australian job seekers."
Ms Simson said the government needed hard data about the extent of the sector's labour shortage crisis, including specific information about what jobs are unfilled.
She said the Working Holiday Maker Visa and the Seasonal Worker Programme cannot adequately meet agriculture's labour needs.
The NFF has also launched a new campaign featuring horticulturalists forced to let produce rot because they didn't have enough workers to harvest it.
David and Ruth Cormack, who grow melons in the Northern Territory town of Humpty Doo, say a shortage of workers for semi-skilled jobs is costing them thousands in unharvested fruit.
Last season, WA berry farmer Anthony Yewers was short up to 50 workers leaving 30 per cent of his crop unpicked.
Tasmanian strawberry grower David Jennings lost 350 tonnes of strawberries due to labour shortages in 2017, with a repeat of that putting his business in danger.
