Summerfruit update

By Richard Palmer : Summerfruit NZ Interim Chief Executive

Whilst the summerfruit industry largely escaped the challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown and global market disruption, the season ahead looks much tougher, with Covid-19 continuing to loom large on the global stage.

Seasonal labour, airfreight capacity and the effect on markets are all uncertain for summerfruit and other sectors. Personally, the question of reuniting our family in Jakarta has shaped the timeframes for thinking about the Covid-19 recovery: In March we thought maybe July; last week I thought maybe December; now it seems unlikely before mid-2021. When Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said in mid-July that Qantas was grounding all international flights (except to New Zealand) until mid-next year, it reinforced the thinking that this is not ending in the near-term. He went on to say he thought maybe 50% of international flights might be reinstated by mid-2022, so the effects from Covid-19 keep pushing further and further out. Seasonal labour

What’s the future?

Airfreight capacity Effect on markets

He went on to say he thought maybe 50% of international flights might be reinstated by mid-2022, so the effects from Covid-19 keep pushing further and further out

Before the next season there have been matters for us to assist with as part of the broader horticulture industry, none (RSE) scheme workers home to their families. Their struggles resonate with me, so when the Vanuatu Government offered 890 repatriation seats in late June, it was crucial that we made the most of the opportunity. With less than a week to prepare, and the flight options changing only three days out, it was a huge effort on the part of the New Zealand Government, Vanuatu High Commission and the horticulture industry to make it happen. Ultimately 1,044 people made it home courtesy of the Royal NZ Air Force. Subsequently other repatriations are also occurring. The Covid-19 lockdown period brought the horticulture industry organisations together to focus on managing the issues with government, exemplified by the work done to ensure essential food production continued during lockdown. The development of the Horticulture Post-Covid Recovery Strategy, again a partnership between government agencies and industry organisations, demonstrated our ability to come together to focus on critical, common issues. Executing that strategy will take a lot of work from across the industry and it also provides a platform for sectors

more pressing than getting Recognised Seasonal Employer and regions to launch their own work to play their part in New Zealand’s export-led recovery. Planning for managing the crucial sectoral issues for the 2021 summerfruit season is well underway. As always, weather and other conditions will drive the ultimate outcome, but with recent plantings this season could herald a record cherry crop. Already the Summerfruit NZ Board Labour sub-committee has met several times and is developing options to address the requirement for nearly 7,000 seasonal workers for the harvest across New Zealand. This group has local and national government representatives as well as growers, and already we’re firming up some ideas. This includes ensuring we have a

single co-ordinated message and virtual nexus for workers and employers to come together. That work is extremely pressing, as developing alternatives with government is a tricky and lengthy process. Summerfruit NZ, with other sectors and with Horticulture New Zealand, is working with government to identify ways to ensure we have the policies in place to support the harvest and packing of our crops. That will require some different solutions and approaches given the expectation of getting Kiwis into work, and the shortage of backpackers.

All sectors are also talking about how we get RSE workers back into New Zealand, a process that would be successfully enabled by a ‘Pacific Bubble’, one which countries like the Cook Islands are already very keen to put in place

The RSE scheme and opening the Pacific Bubble, are clearly key parts of New Zealand’s role in maintaining the economic fortunes of our region and acting to sustain our regional friends and family. Whilst RSE workers represent less than 20% of summerfruit harvest staff, every person is important, and our sector will continue to act in the interests of RSE workers. Airfreight work is also underway to understand the likely static capacity, the export demand, and the gap in between. Summerfruit NZ is keeping in close contact with the Ministry for Primary Industries about the challenges ahead, although beyond October no government commitment to supporting airfreight is yet confirmed. Work to identify likely commercial solutions is also in train.

This work all takes place in the context of a national election, the occurrence of which must not be allowed to disrupt the important work of New Zealand’s economic recovery.

Our seasons wait for no one and getting as much certainty about the ability to harvest, pack, and distribute New Zealand’s highquality, safe summerfruit is one small part in the export led recovery, and of significant benefit to the Pacific region impacted by Covid-19. With a possible record export crop in an uncertain global environment, that domestic certainty is more important than ever.

L.E. Cooke Nurseryman Ltd

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