The men will be in the Riverina and Robinvale regions for seven months under a trial seasonal workers scheme.
More men will come from Vanuatu, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea when approved labor hire companies have completed all requirements, which include growers taking steps to first recruit Australians for the jobs.
After the trial, 2400 seasonal work visas will be available from July.
Farmers will pay half the air fares and workers will get award wages.
Tonga’s deputy secretary for the labor division, Sitiveni Finau, said the scheme is a good opportunity.
“The first group will fly to Sydney and they will help with the harvest of almonds at Robinvale. We will have more workers coming later,” Finau said.
Anna Berry, of Summit Personnel in Griffith, said the agency had government approval to act for similar pilot schemes in Griffith and Swan Hill.
“We hoped to have the workers here by the end of January but we were delayed because of the logistics involved,” she said.
