The deputy leader of the National Party says it has reached a deal with Prime Minister Scott Morrison that would see more foreigners come to Australia to work on farms.  

David Littleproud confirmed an agreement has been reached and hinted that an agriculture-specific visa could soon be announced.

There were fears the free trade deal would mean changes to the existing requirement that British backpackers work on Australian farms for 88 days to extend their visas, at a time when farmers are struggling to recruit workers.

Before Australia closed its borders during the COVID-19 pandemic, about 70 per cent of the agriculture workforce was foreign and farmers relied on up to 10,000 workers from the UK each year.

 Mr Littleproud says his party had done a deal that would increase the number of workers available on farms.

"And we're working with the Prime Minister and the trade minister and other ministers to make sure that mechanism can also be delivered, and we're confident that we've found that."

Asked if that mechanism could be an agriculture-specific visa, Mr Littleproud said it was important the Prime Minister make the announcement first.

"I think the cards will then fall and everything will become very clear about where we are and how we're going to achieve some of the things that we're saying," Mr Littleproud said.

"And if that forms part of it in terms of the final details, then we have an agreement that the National Party will be able to secure those workers that would otherwise have come but also build and actually get greater capacity."

He said the "mechanism" by which Australia would recruit more workers was separate to the free trade deal, and would be announced very soon.

Farmers say ag visa is needed, not just extension to Pacific or Seasonal worker programs

Farmers have been calling on the federal government to deliver an agriculture-specific visa long before COVID-19 closed Australia's borders.

Responding to Mr Littleproud's comments, president of the Victorian Farmers Federation Emma Germano said an agriculture-specific visa was overdue and nothing less could satisfy growers.

"An extension to the Pacific Labor Scheme or Seasonal Worker Programme is not an agriculture visa and does not meet agriculture's needs".

This is not the first time the Nationals say they have reached a deal with Scott Morrison on workers.

In a 2018 interview recorded just days after Mr Morrison became Prime Minister, Nationals leader Michael McCormack was asked if "an agriculture-specific work visa" was part of the Coalition agreement he struck with Mr Morrison.

"I would like to see an agricultural visa sorted within weeks, not months but weeks. It needs to be, it has to be," Mr McCormack responded.

Less than a week later, Mr Littleproud told a rural press function in Brisbane that an agricultural visa would be announced soon.