The 162 seasonal workers that left Tonga on Monday to Australia, are spending 14 days in quarantine in a hotel before they are released to work on farms in Tasmania, according to local media.

Although Tonga is one of the few remaining CoViD-19 free countries, Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said Tongan workers would have all returned a negative CoViD test before journeying to Tasmania.

Costa regional manager Cameron Folder said the Tongan seasonal workers would supplement the more than 200 locals recently recruited to work on the company's farms. The farms produce a variety of fruit including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

"Pacific Island seasonal workers are here for many weeks and make a valuable economic contribution in the accommodation, retail and services sector. The region would suffer a significant social and economic impact if this workforce was not here," he said.

Workers are staying in accommodation in locations approved by the Commonwealth government and the most recent Pacific Island workforce have been issued nine-month visas.

Folder said a recent Deloitte Access Economic report found the overall value of Tasmania’s fresh fruit and vegetable sector was over $450 million a year. The sector created 3,000 jobs and paid more than $162 million in wages.