Harvest: More than 3000 on unemployment

Supplied photo.

During peak harvest while apple growers across Hawke's Bay were crying out for workers, there were up to 4000 people of working age on unemployment benefits in the region.

As the kiwifruit vines continued to ripen and the next harvest event rolled round a few weeks later, there were another 3000 across Bay of Plenty.

Ministry of Social Development figures detail the number of working age people in Hawke's Bay and Western Bay of Plenty on the Jobseeker Support Work Ready scheme between January 15 and May 15.

It found there were 4113 people on the scheme in Hawke's Bay in January, dropping to 3684 by May. In Bay of Plenty, there were 3315 in January, dropping to 3177 by May.

Seeka corporate services general manager Kate Bryant says it's a shame to think there were that many people not working who might have been able to help with the harvest.

'If those numbers are accurate, what an opportunity we've just missed out on. It's a lost opportunity.”

Kiwifruit growers started picking the first week of March with 2000 workers harvesting at orchards across the Bay of Plenty, Coromandel and Northland.

This was compared with the 4800 seasonal fixed-term workers they need for the harvest period.

Crews started picking right as the Omicron variant whipped through the country.

'We had vacancies and over one 10-day period we had 600 people off sick,” Kate says.

'That just contributed to the workload and pressure that was on everyone at work.”

While they were short of workers, it got better incrementally before they finished up around Queen's Birthday weekend and managed to get the crop harvested.

They are still unravelling the consequences of the labour shortage on the quality of the fruit though.

Kate acknowledges there are other barriers which may have prevented people taking up orchard work, such transport for those travelling out of the city centres.

Seeka has spent a lot of time working with organisations like MSD to organise vans to assist with this.

'We had vans, but we had no people.”

Physical barriers also existed for some and, while there was increased automation, this was largely limited to packhouses as it was difficult to implement in kiwifruit orchards.

'Although we can take everybody, not everybody can do it. A physical job isn't necessarily what they are capable of doing and that's what we can't see in these statistics.”

Of increased wages – some orchards this harvest offered rates of up to $60 per hour and other incentives to lure kiwifruit pickers – she didn't expect to see paychecks drop anytime soon.

She says they would love to see more New Zealand pickers.

'We genuinely do want Kiwis.”

Regional commissioner for Bay of Plenty and speaking on behalf of the East Coast, Mike Bryant says MSD works closely with seasonal industries and had a 'year-round approach” to support recruitment needs.

Bryant – no relation to Seeka's Kate Bryant – says thousands of their clients filled seasonal roles each year, including many people receiving Jobseeker Support.

'The horticulture industry is a great opportunity for people wanting to get back into the workforce and can lead to full time work.”

It's important to match people's skills and abilities to the right kind of work though, he says.

'It needs to be recognised that this type of work is not suitable for everyone – it can be a physical job with long hours, and due to ill health, childcare, and accommodation availability, it may not work for all.”

There are other opportunities like forklift operating and administration for those less capable of the physical work.

Mike says MSD works with several employers to design initiatives to get people into the industry and keep them there.

'For several communities we provide, in partnership with the employer, vans or buses to transport our people to the job opportunities for the season.”

Hawke's Bay grower Brydon Nisbet​ says this year's harvest has been 'one of the most challenging seasons” in his 26-year career.

President of the Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' ​Association​, Brydon says growers have explored every avenue to get workers.

'MSD and growers are doing a great job to try and get people in, but we can only do so much,” he says, adding people to be willing and able to do the work.

'We want Kiwis, as there are full-time jobs there now that need to be filled.

'There's enough work for every Kiwi in Hastings to come and work if they want it [...] out in the pack shed, or the field.”

Brydon is thankful to have got all his fruit off and have the season behind him.

'Growers are pretty resilient and we managed to get through.”

Not everyone in the region managed to get all their harvest in.

Napier grower Kelvin Taylor​ earlier told Stuff he had to leave 15% to 20% of his apple crop on the trees this year, as he managed to find only 15 of the 70 people needed to fill his packhouse.

New Zealand Apples and Pears chief executive Terry Meikle​ estimates the entire apple harvest this year will be down an estimated $105 million.

-Stuff/Gianina Schwanecke.

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7 comments

Get To Work

Posted on 19-07-2022 07:44 | By Thats Nice

It's high time the authorities make able people work when there are jobs available and if not cut their dole payment. Why are these people permitted to sit on their backsides while the tax payer gives them money? Organize transport and get these people working again.


Sad

Posted on 19-07-2022 10:17 | By Kancho

There are genuine reasons some people can't work but unfortunately there are many who can but do everything to make themselves unavailable or unemployable. The stories of people who last less than or not much more than a week or two by deliberately or perhaps not being unemployable so they can return to social welfare. They are a drain and a disgrace to think they are owed anything. Conversely and inspirationally I have known people who in spite of significant physical handicaps hold down jobs. We as a society have responsibility to provide for this who can't but our systems need to be more robust. That is totally the governments responsibility to use our tax payers money efficiently . Sadly a lot of room for improvement and needs to be seen.


Stop benefits

Posted on 19-07-2022 10:35 | By The Professor

Stop benefits for those people who are able to work but choose to sit on their lazy backsides, when these jobs are available. They take tax payers money and give nothing back to society......take, take, take!!


Soft PC govt

Posted on 19-07-2022 11:42 | By an_alias

You can't ask people why they aren't working apparently as that might make them feel bad.


work

Posted on 19-07-2022 14:11 | By terry hall

this and future governments have to make it compulsory when on the unemployment benefit if there is work do it or no benefit full stop.


Why WORK

Posted on 19-07-2022 19:52 | By oceans

Why work when you can sit at home or have a good to at Taxpayers expense. If their unemployed friends get together and pool their benefit money they would have a sizable haul. Government needs to take a hard line on people who are quite capable working but decide to draw the benefit eventhough there are lots of jobs on offer.


The benefits...

Posted on 20-07-2022 11:32 | By morepork

... are intended for people who really need help and not for idle layabouts who believe the world owes them a living. I agree wholeheartedly with the general consensus here: Taxpayers should not be required to support lazy no-hopers. People administering benefits should be able to ask any pertinent questions and they should be able to give an opinion based on the answers. Benefits should be adjusted or stopped accordingly. (There would be a right of appeal so you can make a case if you think you have been treated unfairly.) If you are in trouble through no fault of your own, and need a hand up, you should have nothing to fear. But lazy, greedy, people who see benefit as a way of life should be weeded and removed from the system.


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