Not that finding workers for his beef processing plant located EC Throsby at Whittingham near Singleton is an ongoing headache but during the pandemic it became even worse.

"We have advertisements permanently out there seeking workers - it's one of our biggest problems ," he said.

"At the moment we could lift our production if we could find 105 workers - it is a very pressing issue for businesses like ours with the international borders being closed for so long.

"I am sick of hearing about the need to create jobs in Australia when we have plenty of jobs available just no suitable workers coming forward to take up those positions."

Mr Throsby was speaking about the labour shortages to Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud who was visiting the facility.

EC Throsby is among the first group of businesses to become an approved employer under the Federal government's new Agriculture Visa program.

The company has already participated in the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) which enable Pacific and Timorese workers to take up jobs in rural and regional Australia with approved employers who have been unable to find enough suitable Australians to fill vacancies in their businesses.

Mr Littleproud said the Ag Visa program would build on the existing PLS by allowing people from more countries in South East Asia to participate.

"Under the Ag Visa participants have the opportunity to become the next generation of migrants to arrive in Australia," he said.

Mr Littleproud was critical of the response from unions to the Ag Visa saying it would not result in the exploitation of workers.

"We have the ability to weed out any bad employers, who really are in the minority in the first place. We have a critical issue with labour shortages and the Ag Visa is but one solution," he said.