Workers needed for kiwifruit crop

This year, growers of kiwifruit say they have a much bigger crop of fruit this year, but not enough pickers and packers. They need 1200 more workers.

The warm summer this year has led to a good season for kiwifruit with an extra 22m trays of fruit expected this year. Last year, 120m trays were packed but this year, 142m trays are likely. Now 45% of the crop is the gold variety which has become very popular as it is sweeter.

The government has declared a labour shortage until June 8th. This means that tourists on a visitor visa can apply to make a short-term change to their visa so that they can work in the kiwifruit industry until that date. Most of the kiwifruit are grown in the Bay of Plenty, around Tauranga.

Already, employers have workers from the Pacific Islands who come here during the season under the Regional Seasonal Employers (RSE) scheme. Finding accommodation for all these workers is not always easy.

Zespri, the company which markets kiwifruit, aims to export $4.5bn worth of kiwifruit by 2025. Exports of kiwifruit in 2016 brought in $1.66m so that is a very optimistic aim. The EU is our biggest market, followed by Japan and China.

Kiwifruit are also sold in New Zealand. They are cheaper than most other fruit during the winter and very popular. At the moment, green kiwifruit in the shops are still hard but they ripen if left next to an apple, pear or banana which give off ethylene.

Note:

The plural and singular of the word ‘fruit’ are the same: one fruit, many fruit; one kiwifruit, many kiwifruit