A resumption of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme in Nelson looks promising, according to a local horticultural operation.
The first group of 150 RSE workers arrived in the country from Vanuatu through quarantine free travel earlier in October.
Nelson’s Wai West Horticulture Ltd, based at the Waimea Plains, was allocated 12 RSE employees.
Wai West leases more than 200 hectares growing apples, berryfruit and kiwifruit.
Fiona Hodge, of Wai West Horticulture Ltd, manages the company’s RSE scheme.
She says the arrival of seasonal workers in Nelson is a welcome addition and will fill the void of produce not picked last year.
“In this area, the seasonal work required from this time of year up to Christmas is mostly for apple and kiwifruit thinning and boysenberry harvesting. For this work, in addition to our usual search for seasonal employees we also encourage students returning for the long summer break to come and earn some money by working with us."
She says from February, when apple harvest begins, they will need a large influx of labour.
“Last year we had to leave fruit on the trees as we did not have the labour to pick it.
“That is heart-breaking when so much work has gone into producing the fruit.”
Fiona says one of the conditions of entry into the country is that the workers must have had at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and the employer must arrange for the second dose while they are in the country.
The workers had to have been in their country of origin for at least 14 days prior to departure. They had to isolate for 7 days at the on-orchard accommodation and they underwent a day zero and a day five saliva test.
“After day seven and once we had the all clear from the day five test the men were able to meet up with the rest of our employees.
“We provided a hot meal for their first night and our current Ni-Vanuatans did their shopping for the first seven days.”
The RSE workers, who are allocated seven-month visas, had originally been booked to arrive through MIQ earlier in the year.
However, the flights were postponed due to more urgent requirements in MIQ facilities.
Fiona says The Industry Collective, which includes Horticulture New Zealand, New Zealand Apples and Pears, New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers and New Zealand Ethical Growers have all been working tirelessly with the Government to arrange for the RSE to start returning from the Pacific Islands to New Zealand.
