HORTNEWS NOVEMBER 2023, ISSUE 39
Awardwinning growers keep on adapting and improving – Page 9 ISSN 2624-3490 (print) ISSN 2624-3504 (online)
WWW.HORTNEWS.CO.NZ
Call for RSE action!
Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
NEW ZEALAND Apples and Pears wants the new government to urgently deal with the Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) scheme. Apple and Pears chief executive Karen Morrish wants changes to the scheme that would deliver phenomenal benefits. She told Hort News that
“What we want is certainty around any changes, whether they are going to be rolled out quickly or phased in.”
GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE INTO HORT MORRISH BELIEVES there needs to be a perception change about the nature of work available in the apple and pear sector. She says while some of the work is physical, it’s not just all about picking apples. “There is a lot of technology on the orchards and especially in the packhouses where there is a huge amount of automation and technology,” Morrish told Hort News. “In these areas, we are looking for a different
type of Kiwi with good technology skills. If you take the grading machines in the packhouses, they are taking 140 separate images of every apple to look for defects and grade for size.” Morrish believes part of the problem of not attracting young people to the sector is the way that horticulture is articulated in schools and to parents. She says if young people want a career in technology, the pipfruit industry is the place to go.
these could be implemented in the first 100 days of National gaining the Treasury benches. Morrish is preparing a briefing paper for the incoming minister setting out some of the key issues in her sector that could benefit from government input. Morrish says the industry should be proud of the RSE scheme. She adds that it works well but after 15 years it’s time to make improvements. She believes that a government review of the scheme is needed and would be welcomed. “The scheme is crucial to the industry, to the Pacific and our regional fruitgrowing centres,” Morrish explains. “But it is currently out of balance. One of the main concerns that growers have is that for three years they have not been able to increase costs related to accommodation and utilities – even though these costs have been rising.” Morrish told Hort News that there
has been a freeze in many areas of the scheme for the last few years and changes need to happen to ensure a more equitable system for everyone involved. She says in the leadup to the election, the review process seemed to have stalled and she’d like this speeded up and completed as soon as possible. “What we want is certainty around any changes, whether they are going to be rolled out quickly or phased in. This lack of clarity creates uncertainty for growers and our Pacific partners.”
SOUTHERN SPEARS! Leaderbrand South Island manager Mike Arnold is pictured with the first of the last asparagus to be grown in NZ that will be hitting the market soon. The cool nights and warm days of the Canterbury plains, near the township of Chertsey, is the site of Leaderbrand’s large asparagus growing operation. The company has been growing asparagus in the South Island for more than 10 years. Most of the asparagus we see in supermarkets is grown in the North Island, but 25% is grown in the South Island. – More page 3
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