Fears for fruit harvest over 'backpacker tax'

The Australian government and national farmers' body have called on opposition groups to support the new, reduced 'backpacker tax', saying farmers desperately needed help in picking their summer fruit harvest.

A recent Senate report recommended that backpackers - young foreigners visiting Australia on working holidays - should be subject to a 19 percent tax rate, down from the 32 percent rate which currently applies.

The Senate committee urged parliament to pass the 'backpacker tax' legislation at this sitting, in order to maintain Australia's attractiveness to backpackers, and to secure extra harvest labor for farmers.