YOUR INDUSTRY
SEASON CHALLENGES EVEN THE TOUGHEST OF GROWERS Words by Andrew Bristol
Kevin (right) with long-term RSE worker
Kevin Bayley, who has been growing fruit for more than 30 years in the Hawke’s Bay, says the risk with Covid-19 is that it makes New Zealand horticulture unsustainable. “The fruit’s been stunning this year – it’s the best I’ve ever seen,” says Kevin. “The rain in November was the making of the season and it hasn’t been too hot. We winged it with the summerfruit harvest but with apples, there’s just not going to be enough workers to get the crop off.” Kevin estimates that Hawke’s Bay is going to be about 4,000 workers short. “Locals can never make up that shortfall and good people are hard to find. Several of my permanent employees have worked for me for more than 20 years, while some last for less than a week. That is why we need the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, end of story, even though a lot of people are saying that technology is going to change our dependence. But that’s 20 years away and won’t happen quickly enough.” Kevin says thanks to Covid, everything’s in disarray.
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NZGROWER : MARCH 2021
“The plastic crates the supermarkets demanded we put produce in this season were supposed to arrive in September but are now scheduled for February. It’s also increasingly difficult to get parts for tractor and machinery repairs. “There’s going to be a point where New Zealand’s economy is affected by worldwide supply shortages.” Kevin is constantly developing his land. “You have to keep up with development as trees get old. I have the plant variety rights to my own apple, Bay Queen. Ten new hectares of this variety has just cost us $1m in set-up costs.” Kevin says he enjoys being a grower but it is quite stressful. “Some things I just don’t get. New Zealand prides itself as one of the world’s best food producers and yet as a grower, there are all these obstacles to negotiate.
What the horticulture industry does is awesome, it is a good industry, but there are many challenges at the moment
