Orchard still short of staff days away from picking

Te Aroha Toa Toa signs up to work at Bostock New Zealand, with Bostock New Zealand Orchard foreman Chad Harris.

One of the region's largest growers is short 140 workers, just 20 days out from apple harvest.

Bostock New Zealand held its annual open day in Hastings yesterday where just 60 locals and working-visa tourists signed up.

Bostock New Zealand orchard operations manager Craig Treneman said the company worked with Work and Income, networked and advertised yet the open day attracted the lowest number of people in five years.

"We were hoping to attract more people as we have plenty of work, both seasonal and permanent jobs," he said.

"We are challenged by a labour shortage and there are just not enough Kiwis available to meet the peak-season demand. The big Royal Gala harvest starts at the end of February and the apples need to be picked in 20 days."

Work was available seven days a week "and we are doing a big shout out to anyone keen to come and pick apples".

Hastings woman Te Aroha Toa Toa was quick to sign up.

"I have been unemployed for some time, so the orchard work gives me the opportunity to get into some seasonal work which will hopefully flow into fulltime employment," she said.

She doesn't have a driver's licence so is glad to find the company providing transport.

"It means I don't have to stress about how I get to work."

Mr Treneman said that was one of the main barriers to employment "so we will do everything we can to help get people to work".

Bostock employs up to 700 seasonal workers across its squash, kiwifruit, onion and apple harvests, with almost 300 of them foreigners employed under the Recognised Seasonal Employer RSE scheme.

The Government allowed more than 3000 RSE workers into Hawke's Bay last year, when some growers were forced to leave apples unpicked due to labour shortages, and have allowed an extra 300 this year following a apple crop forecast to be 5 per cent larger.

An extra 300 unemployed New Zealanders will be brought into the region in a government scheme.

Pipfruit NZ business development manager Gary Jones said growers will be "stretched".

"We are going to be under great pressure to harvest this crop," he said.

"Next year's crop will be even bigger, so with Kiwifruit experiencing similar levels of growth we will see more demand for RSE workers."