A shortfall of about 1200 workers or 15% of the usual seasonal labour supply has prompted the industry to declare a formal labour shortage, the first one since the 2004 season.
The shortfall is greater than predicted before the season began.
The usual supply of Indian students is almost gone and travelling backpackers have failed to appear this season in the usual numbers.
The formal declaration follows closely behind one made earlier in autumn by the apple sector and highlights an ongoing challenge to efforts to grow higher value crops and having the workers to harvest them.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated chief executive Nikki Johnson said the sector will be considering greater numbers of Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme workers as one option to boost numbers in future years.
However, any increase will come too late for this season and hopes are being pinned on the declaration encouraging visitors to take advantage of the easier path offered to legally work on a visitor’s visa for six weeks of harvesting.
With the declaration only a week old she has been told greater interest has been created but it remains to be seen how that converts to extra staff for a harvest only 50% complete.
Trays harvested this season are expected to be up 20% on last year.
While this season has been described as something of a perfect storm, Johnson acknowledged it is likely to become the new normal as the industry ramps up plantings of SunGold.
For that reason a report to analyse future labour needs has been commissioned. It is expected to be released within weeks.
Zespri has been pushing the increased volumes with demand-driven SunGold plantings with 700ha a year being released over the next four years.
Johnson said it is not for her organisation to put the brakes on Zespri’s plans but a number of discussions about the challenges to labour and packhouse facilities its plans will bring are under way.
“Even if Zespri were to stop planting fruit tomorrow this would still be a problem we would be facing. It will not simply come right again.”
RSE workers comprise about 1500 picking staff and some contractors have called for the national ceiling to be lifted from 11,500 to 15,000, possibly pushing another 800-1000 RSE workers into the kiwifruit sector.
“But the horticultural and viticultural sector as a whole have to demonstrate the need to get them is real and addressing issues on employment of New Zealanders first.”
Pay rates for kiwifruit pickers have increased by about 15% on last year with most on about $22 a hour, well above the minimum wage.
Johnson is confident a yet-to-be-released report being presented to the Government will support the case for an RSE worker boost.
Meantime ,she did not believe any of this year’s harvest would be left to rot for lack of pickers.
“This is a very collaborative industry and collectively will work to get this harvest in.
“We have been very fortunate with the settled weather. If we had experienced last year’s conditions this year it would have been a very different story.”
Work also needed to be done to get more seasonal jobs converted into full time positions with contractors and orchard owners.
“In fact we can provide 48 out of 52 weeks’ worth of work but there is a need there to get more contractors who employ seasonal labour to have the confidence to convert those jobs into full time positions. We have to do more work in this area.”
