RSE Conference 2021
Last week Summerfruit NZ Chair, Roger Brownlie, and I attended the RSE Conference in Nelson – along with sector leaders and officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Ministers Faafoi and Sepuloni spoke to the conference.
The Ministers heard from employers about their experiences hiring New Zealanders, backpackers with working holiday visas, and the benefits of the RSE scheme to the workers and their families as well as to the orchards that employ them.
Both Ministers expressed their support for the RSE scheme while emphasising the Government’s expectation that more New Zealanders are employed by the horticulture sector and that pastoral care for RSE workers must remain a focus.
Under the current intake (B.E. 2.0) 2,400 RSE workers have guaranteed MIQ spaces until March 2022, and RSE employers have recently been asked for expressions of interest for the flights arriving between early December to late January.
Central Otago meetings
This week, Roger and I have been in Central Otago with Summerfruit NZ team members; Andrea Crawford and Richard Mills. Along with seasonal labour coordinator, Tracey Mansfield, we met with growers from Roxburgh and Teviot Valley on Monday to discuss labour issues and the steps that can be taken to address the labour shortage for the coming season.
On Tuesday, a number of exporters and growers attended the Export Reference Group meeting and the SummerGreen meeting that followed in Alexandra. We visited more orchards on Wednesday to hear individual perspectives and views.
My thanks again to those who hosted visits from us, I appreciate your time and your perspectives on the issues, challenges and opportunities facing the summerfruit sector.