Season challenges even the toughest of growers

Kevin Bayley (right) with a trusted 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.

By Andrew Bristol

“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. “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.”

Top image: The Fruit Shop, Hastings Bottom image: Bay Queen apples 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. “Also, the two supermarket chains in New Zealand are competing with each other to drive returns to growers down, which is not sustainable. What’s more, customers want perfect produce, but in New Zealand they’re not willing to pay for it.” Five years ago, Kevin set up a shop in Hastings, which his daughter runs. “The shop takes a lot of energy and my daughter does a great job. The shop’s doing really well and is quite iconic in the Hawke’s Bay.” Kevin says the horticulture industry is changing. “There are fewer and fewer family-owned enterprises and land is being sold to corporates for development. For smaller growers, it’s getting too hard. “There are growers pulling out apples before harvest this season because of the labour shortage. What the horticulture industry does is awesome, it is a good industry, but there are many challenges at the moment.”