Typically, the sector would be taking about 3000 Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) staff from the Pacific Islands, but expectations are this will be less than half this season. The Bay of Plenty usually relies on 20,000 of the 23,000 seasonal workers employed in the sector during harvest, extending from early March to June.
Billboards promoting job opportunities with different post-harvest companies line the main routes in and out of Tauranga city this season.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) chief executive Nikki Johnson says she is optimistic the 16% lift in sector pay rates to the living wage rate of $22.10 an hour will entice more locals into the sector.
The $22.10 rate is being paid by all packhouse companies, while kiwifruit picking jobs are expected to exceed the living wage, paying an average last year of $24 an hour, compared to minimum wage rates of $18.90 an hour.
In a region where lower paying hospitality and tourism jobs have been hard hit by the loss of overseas visitors, the increase in pay is expected to provide a welcome boost to numbers of willing workers.
“We have been told for some time by the minister that if we pay more, we will attract more staff. This is an effort to see if this happens,” Johnson said.
Increased flexibility around work times and days is another feature of this season’s employment opportunities, as the sector hones in on semi-retired workers and students.
“We can be looking at two to three days a week of work, and finishing times. We do know, however, it will be weekends and night shifts that will be harder to fill,” she said.
Workers happy to take up night shifts can expect an additional $1 an hour for shifts starting after 7pm.
One problem packhouses experienced last year was a relatively high “churn” rate, with staff leaving the physically demanding, intense work sometimes after only a few days.
“This year we have offered one-day ‘taster’ courses, so people have an idea about what they are committing to before they start,” she said.
Working closer with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), workers who lack transport are having free buses provided to get to work. MSD is working to increase awareness among the unemployed about the opportunities that exist not only for seasonal work, but for full-time positions.
The crunch point for the sector can come after harvest when skilled winter pruning staff are needed, who were often RSE workers. The industry ran a series of training courses last year to boost local participation, with success.
Workers with licences to operate heavy trucks and forklifts would be in particular demand, and some packhouses have been implementing training programmes for staff wanting to get licences.
Following some timely late-February rain after a prolonged dry spell, expectations are that this season’s crop will deliver in terms of yield and size throughout the Bay of Plenty.
This contrasts to the heavy losses suffered by growers around Marlborough following the Christmas hail storms, which are estimated to have inflicted losses of about $20 million, of which only $7m was covered by insurance.
Last season a record 157m trays of Green and SunGold were harvested, and this year SunGold is expected to haul ahead of Green in terms of tray volume.
Red fruit will also be harvested in the first commercial crop yields, with delivery to some local and limited overseas markets.
Seeka’s grower and marketing general manager Jim Smith says the company has pulled out all stops to boost its local workforce this year.
“In Northland we have a good initiative with MSD and local iwi, and have 60 people running through a pilot employment programme, bringing them up to be work-ready for the season,” Smith said.
He says the company’s orchards and plant in the main growing area of Te Puke still require staff, and the company is taking a very flexible approach to employment hours and shifts to accommodate staff schedules.
“This includes timing around after school hours in a twilight shift, and the opportunity for people to do job sharing too. We are open to all ideas,” he said.
Seeka was also working with tourism contacts in Rotorua to draw staff who may have lost their jobs in the tourism sector and were seeking employment.
