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With the season in NZ just around the corner, there are opportunities for UK agricultural workers to get a visa and start work in October, then return to the UK ready for the spring campaign.
A new partnership to try and help solve the labour shortage gap for rural contractors in both NZ and the UK has recently been established.
Realising that Covid and closed borders had severed a lot of the international ties, the Rural Contractors New Zealand Inc (RCNZ) and its UK equivalent – the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) – have launched the exchange scheme.
“While some of the bigger players can sort experienced labour, many contractors are a little stuck on connecting to the UK labour market,” explains RCNZ chief executive Andrew Olsen. “We believe this is where the trade bodies can help out.”
NAAC boss Jill Hewitt says the rural contracting industry in the UK is having real problems in sourcing professional, experienced labour particularly in seasonal peaks.
“The NAAC and RCNZ are working in partnership to assist our members in exchanging labour,” she says. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our team members to gain experience, see the world and keep busy year-round. It also takes the pressure off our contracting members retaining staff through the winter.”
With border entry back to some form of normality since Covid, it should be possible for staff to work year-round across the world. The NZ Government provides UK citizens a holiday working visa for people aged up to 35 who have not been to NZ before and an employer-sponsored visa option for skilled workers who have been before and wish to return. The UK also welcomes NZ workers, aged 18 to 35 via the Youth Mobility Scheme to gain a working visa for up to 24 months. In addition, there is also a skilled worker option, sponsored by a UK employer.
Both organisations say with the season in NZ just around the corner, there are opportunities for UK agricultural workers to get a visa and start work in October, then return to the UK ready for the spring campaign – alongside any NZ rural contractors seeking work in the country.
The process, exclusive to members of both associations and their workers, is relatively simple. Firstly, the contractor offering potential positions needs to be a member of RCNZ or NAAC. UK workers should email their CV’s to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. These will be circulated to RCNZ members who will make direct contact with workers to discuss potential employment.
NZ workers looking for positions in the UK can email their CVs to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. These will be forwarded to NAAC members, who can make direct contact with NZ workers to discuss potential employment and verify their credentials.
It should be noted that neither the NAAC nor RCNZ can verify the status or professionalism of exchange workers. This will be down to individual employees.
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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