Agricultural
5 June, 2026
Mass reduction in foreign labour would cripple ag sector - Camm
Bowenville feedlot owner Bryce Camm said populist arguments against immigration often ignore the economic reality of the agriculture sector, while speaking at the Protein 2026 conference in Dalby last Wednesday, May 27.
Mr Camm spoke on a panel moderated by Beef Central writer Lydia Burton with Queensland Future Farmers Network Chair Lauren Roellgen, Four Daughters Beef CEO Karen Penfold and AgriTalent Managing Director Kelli McDougall.
The panel spoke on a range of issues, including labour shortages, immigration and what will attract young people to the sector.
Mr Camm said despite a shortage of labour, things were looking better for the protein sector employment than they had been during Covid.
“I do think it’s better than where we were four-five years ago,” he said.
“We’d throw up an ad for someone to be a livestock hand at a feedlot, and there might be no one apply.
“Today, we’ve got people knocking at the door wanting a job. In that respect, I think the market has definitely changed.”
The beef industry heavyweight said the industry had to play to its strengths in marketing itself.
“It’s really expensive to buy a house in Sydney,” he said.
“And yeah sure, the price of a house in Dalby (median price - $540,000) is still too dear as well, but it’s a bloody lot cheaper than Sydney (median price - $987,500).
“From a cost of living perspective, (what) we’re seeing in our business is (that) people (are) transitioning to the regions.”
ACCOMMODATION
Key to bringing jobs to the regions is supplying workers with a place to live, Mr Camm said.
“The cost of building is tough, the supply (of housing) here in this region and in many regions is not enough.
“Market failure is in existence.
“I would argue that’s the area Local Government and State Governments need to help (out most) in the housing crisis is in (that) core underlying infrastructure.”
Mr Camm said his company has made property investments in the area around its Irvingdale feedlot, buying local farm homesteads, the Bowenville Hotel, and units in Dalby.
IMMIGRATION
Thrown into the hot political topic of migration by moderator Lydia Burton, Mr Camm said that much of our nation and our regions have been built on those successive waves of immigration.
“It’s something that needs to be managed, but also discussed and processed,” he said.
“Kelli (McDougall) is right.
“The agriculture sector would crumble and fail tomorrow without a foreign labour force assisting us.
“I hate to think what would happen in the intensive animal industries...it would not function.
“It’s a simple reality.
“There is discussion about ‘mass migration’.
“In a lot of cases, we’re not talking about migration.
“We’re talking about gap filling where government policy hasn’t got the settings right to put the workforce in the regions (where) we needed it five-ten years ago.
“We’re really gap filling to solve a problem that already exists.”
Moderator Ms Burton raised the example of the Pacific Australian Labour Movement (PALM) workers as a success story.
As of March 2026, Government figures showed 32,725 workers were participating in the PALM scheme, 56% of whom were working in agriculture and 36% of whom were working in meat processing.
“It’s about bringing so much to our industry,” Ms Burton said.
“I worked in Darwin for a while and mango pickers from Papua New Guinea, were using their wage to send their children to school.
“That is such a wholesome (part) of ag.”
POLITICS
Mr Camm is a card-holding member of the Liberal National Party and ran for pre-selection for the seat of Groom in 2020, but finished well off the pace in third place behind eventual winner Garth Hamilton.
“People in agriculture, there are less and less of us,” he said.
“That means there’s less seats to represent us.
“I don’t care whatever colour the occupant of the seat is at the time. Orange is a great colour by the way.”
“The fragmentation of the two-party system is not engaging people in getting the real views.”
He says that being a political party member can be an disillusioning experience at times.
“If you turn up to a branch meeting in Dalby, there will be three or four people there and they’ll want to talk about something that isn’t what I’m interested in about business in trying to better the community.”
CAREER PROGRESSION
Mr Camm said standardising ag job titles would better enable the sector to compete for labour.
“If you’re a lawyer, you start off as associate, you become a senior associate, you might be a special counsel, next a partner, then an equity partner. The steps are all known across every law firm, almost globally,” he said.
“Farming is one of the first occupations, but we haven’t been great at systemising the career path.”
YOUNG PEOPLE IN AGRICULTURE
Another issue discussed by the panel was motivating young people in cities to consider working in ag.
Future Farmers Network Chair Lauren Roellgen said some young people were attracted to work in agriculture not only by money but also a feeling of purpose.
“Producing food and fibre is something everyone needs and it’s a really clear direct way they can contribute to society,” she said.
“It’s a lifestyle (where) people feel part of something bigger than themselves and being part of a community in a way you might not be able to in a city.”
