Despite a good flow of RSE workers, Summerfruit NZ chief executive Kate Hellstrom says labour supply after January was expected to be very tight.
With record crop volumes anticipated this summer for pip and summer fruit, the industry is welcoming the timely arrival of the first Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) staff in two years from Tonga, Vanuatu and Samoa.
Summerfruit New Zealand chief executive Kate Hellstrom says multiple flights with workers on board have already arrived, with passage made simpler thanks to one-way quarantine-free travel here being approved by the Government in September.
Workers are only required to be vaccinated and undertake day zero and day five tests, and complete a self-isolation period of seven days.
“Speaking with employees, they say it has been an immense relief to have these staff arrive. It comes when we have only a few backpackers remaining in the country, but they are also able to work with their working holiday visas now being extended,” Hellstrom said.
Estimates are there are about 10,000 backpackers still in NZ, and about 7000 of the RSE workers have already arrived. Hellstrom says this year’s cap of 14,400 looked like it would be filled this year.
“The capacity to take workers varies between orchards, but in general people are saying things are looking okay over December-January, even if they are not completely staffed,” she said.
The summerfruit sector has been at pains to try and recruit more student staff through summer via its PickNZ.co.nz website, with a focus on getting locals working in the sector.
“The concern is more later in the season, when students go back to university, we will have a gap and that is a real concern with so much fruit still to harvest then,” she said.
In the pipfruit sector, growers are crossing their fingers they will not witness any major crop losses after last year’s devastating Boxing Day hailstorm in the Nelson region took the top off what would have been a near record crop.
Prior to the storm, estimates were for a 540,000-tonne export crop, which later was reduced to 500,000t, with labour shortages also attributed to fruit being left on trees.
Pipfruit NZ RSE manager Emma Sherwood says indications are this year’s crop will be a record-setter, barring any major weather losses occurring again.
She says the 7000 RSE staff already in NZ now was a number similar to the past for this time of year and arrivals were flowing well into orchards throughout the sector.
“We are expecting some more big numbers of workers to come in the first quarter next year as harvest starts,” Sherwood said.
Nevertheless, like all parts of the primary sector, pipfruit remained “grossly” short of staff.
For NZ growers the competition for RSE workers has also intensified thanks to Australia entering the market and not having a cap on worker numbers.
“So, we do see a number of staff applying for both countries now,” she said.
However, she says ties between NZ growers and their long-term RSE staff is strong, with many growers helping their staff villages with amenities over the years.
Other RSE countries still to open up include Fiji and the Solomons, with covid restrictions and infections prohibiting their arrival so far.
While RSE workers are required to be vaccinated, sector hears are still determining what expectations will be for locals over the season.
Hellstrom says employers are looking at how best to protect staff, in anticipation of covid arriving in most areas in coming months.
“We will be following stringent protocols to keep staff safe and to keep it out of processing plants so production does not have to be stopped,” Hellstrom said.
