As New Zealand pipfruit growers welcome the prospect of another bumper crop, preparations for the 2016 harvest are bringing a different sense of hope to Graham Nawia.
The Vanuatu national has recently returned to the Hawke’s Bay to work for grower-packer-market Bostock New Zealand under the recognised seasonal employer (RSE) scheme.
After surviving the devastation of Cyclone Pam earlier this year, Nawia said his sixth season with Bostock would be amongst the most rewarding.
“My home was totally destroyed in Cyclone Pam so this gives me an opportunity to earn some good money to bring back to my wife and children in Vanuatu,” explained Nawia. “It has been very tough for a lot of families, so it will be good to invest money back into my community to help rebuild it.”
Nawia is among over 200 seasonal workers Bostock has recently welcomed to its orchards. Over the course of the season the company intends to employ just under 300 RSE workers from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Indonesia.
Bostock owner John Bostock said the RSE programme would help alleviate labour shortages over the busy harvest period.
“The key for us is getting New Zealanders into full time employment rather than just seasonal jobs and we are helping up-skill our seasonal staff to give them more opportunity,” John Bostock explained. “But we are challenged by a labour shortage in New Zealand because there are not enough Kiwi’s available to meet the peak season demand, so it is great that we can bring in labour from other countries to help get the fruit off the trees at the crucial times.”
RSE workers can save up to NZ$9,000 (US$5,983) over the course of a season, which is then used to invest in schooling, building improvements, and the purchase of land, homes and businesses in their native countries. John Bostock said the programme has been hugely successful for his company since it was introduced in 2007.
“The RSE scheme helps so many families throughout the Pacific Islands as the money earned here is put back into their communities,” he noted. 'We have between 80-85% returnee rate and I think that boils down to how we treat our RSE workers and the good wages they can earn here in New Zealand.”
Bostock seasonal workers are currently thinning apple trees, weeding and preparing for the apple harvest, which is set to start in late February.
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