The New Zealand apple harvest is due to start next week with Royal Gala, but pressure for seasonal labour is mounting.

Horticulture New Zealand director Ru Collin has said the industry is calling out for seasonal workers now to prevent a potential labour shortage. He has been concerned seasonal workers might not think there are as many work opportunities because the apple industry is going through a tough time.

Overall numbers will only be slightly down on last year’s 24,000 posts needed to pick and handle the country’s record apple crop, Collin said.

The pressure is on mainly because harvesting is starting a week earlier and is expected to run from February 25 to May. “The peaks will also be in a more condensed period, in other words the fruit is ready and we have to get it off,” Collin was reported in the NZ press.

“The second peak of the season, for Braeburn apples in Hawke’s Bay is expected to fall around Easter and we need to keep workers here and interested in working before following the harvest trail to Bay of Plenty,” he said.

Hawke’s Bay was recently declared a region of “absolute labour shortage” by the NZ department of labour and to help prevent a seasonal shortage, the department has initiated a pilot seasonal work permit policy allocating 4000 permits - this compares to only 800 permits granted in the region last year.

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