HortNZ levy vote looming
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being urged to their say in the upcoming levy referendum to enable Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) to continue its work for the sector.
HortNZ says the Government is moving in the right direction with its increase in recognised seasonal employers (RSE) workers.
But it says even more RSE workers are still needed to support horticulture’s big growth.
RSE is the name for the seasonal labour scheme where workers from the Pacific come to NZ for six to seven months for harvest and pruning. Once that work is done they return home to their families in the Pacific.
“RSE workers are playing a key role in the horticulture industry’s continued growth in response to rising export and domestic demand,” says HortNZ chief executive, Mike Chapman.
“NZ’s horticulture export revenue jumped 13.7% to $6.1 billion in the year to June 30, 2019. It’s expected to grow by another 3.8% to $6.3b in the current financial year.
“This growth is why we asked the Government for an even greater increase in RSE worker numbers, to support our growth and make up for the shortage of available NZ workers, particularly during peak times like harvesting and pruning.”
Chapman says it is good to have certainty for the current season and next season. The Government has provisionally announced that another 1600 RSE workers will be added, pushing the total from 14,400 this season to 16,000.
He says the RSE scheme has enabled the continued expansion of fruit, vegetable and wine grape growing in NZ.
“The availability of RSE workers also gives certainty to NZ businesses so they can continue to grow and employ additional permanent NZ workers.”
Hort NZ says last season Pacific RSE workers earned at least NZ$50 million.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour…
OPINION: Your canine crusader gets a little fed up with the some in media, union hacks, opposition politicians and hard-core…