Linda Roache said she had not had an issue attracting staff in the past three decades.

But she is now finding it difficult to fill roles due to changes announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday night.

"We've employed backpackers for 14 or 15 years now and we usually have to turn people away," Mrs Roache said.

But this year she is struggling to find staff.

"The pool of backpackers is just not there," she said.

Mrs Roache said the requirement for people to work for 88 days in regional areas, which has now been scrapped, had led to a lot of staff choosing to work on her farm.

"If that requirement is removed, how will we get people? That's been fantastic for us," she said.

"We've had people from all walks of life.

"If that's taken away we could lose a pool of staff."

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Mrs Roache said the requirement had been very positive for a lot of people on a working holiday.

"The 88 days has been an absolute blessing for farmers," she said. "It opened the eyes to a lot of backpackers about the opportunities on farms and on the land."

IN OTHER NEWS:

The federal government plans to address this issue by introducing a new agriculture visa to lure farm workers from Southeast Asia.

Australia agreed with the UK to scrap the requirement for British backpackers to do an 88-day work stint in regional areas before extending their working holidays.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack, who is acting Prime Minister while Scott Morrison is in the UK, has promised to deliver it within three months.

The visa will allow people from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the UK to work on Australian farms for three years. They will need to return home for three months each year.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the plan involved more than 10,000 places as a baseline to cover the shortfall in backpackers.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia would be moving forward on an agricultural visa.

"That is something that I've had a positive view on for some time, we look forward to that occurring, and that will provide other opportunities when it comes to our agricultural workforce," Mr Morrison said.

Victorian Farmers Federation vice-president Emma Germano, who has long pushed for the visa, said it was needed for horticulture, as well as other skilled and unskilled jobs in other sectors.

"From milkers, livestock farm hands, pickers, packers, machinery drivers; everyone is having trouble finding labour," she said.

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