A study by the Australian Farm Institute (AFI) published on Tuesday found that the country's agricultural sector is suffering from labour shortage of at least 96,000 full-time workers and an additional skill drought of 10,000 part-time workers.

The AFI study urged the industry to address the problem immediately as it warned that once left unattended, the agri-business skill shortage would balloon to a crisis level, which could push up labour costs and considerably weigh down growth possibilities in the sector.

AFI executive director Mick Keogh pointed to the industry's natural tendency to compete with the mining industry in luring possible workers and the sector was losing out due to the generally low perception on farm works, especially from among school leavers.

Also, Mr Keogh explained that most young workers do not have the ability to establish fully-evolving career paths and according to him, this state is further worsened by employers' apathy towards regional workers.

He said that employers were totally indifferent in guiding workers fro further growth by failing to provide education and training opportunities.

Jointly funded by AFI, Horticulture Australia and Agrifood Skills Australia, the research findings underpinned an earlier study by the National Farmers Federation unveiled in April, which sounded alarm that the sector was dangerously short of an estimated 90,000 farm workers.