Much of the conversations around agriculture at the moment centre around the lack of staff, or more specifically the inability of farmers to be able to harvest crops.
The problem extends from strawberries to squash to tree fruits and arable crops.
The feeling that government is either not understanding or not listening is exacerbated by the fact that the fishing fleet has been able to bring in foreign staff while crops rot.
Adding further insult to injury, the fishing staff are coming from countries that have to be considered high risk for COVID-19, like Russia, Ukraine etc while many of the potential horticulture staff would be sourced from countries that are free of COVID-19 (and have been all along), have trained workers, and are from countries we (i.e. New Zealand) are meant to be supporting through development and economically. Russia certainly doesn’t fit that bill.
The machinery drivers for the arable sector are in a different situation to other sectors. As most of them will be coming from Northern Hemisphere countries and therefore would need to go through the MIQ process, which despite earlier government assurances does not seem available at least until after Christmas.
This goes back to my argument that the Minister for MPI if he is advocating for Ag is not being heard and is at risk of being a place holder and little else.
A big difference between the horticulture and arable sectors (and I include hay and baleage in here), and the fishing industry, is the fact that the crops don’t stop growing and indeed very soon (too late for some) will begin deteriorating.
The fish stocks will still be there next month and the month after and indeed may will be better off for a small respite.
The news of the Pfizer vaccine is some concrete welcome news. However, it will still be some months before New Zealand can see the positive benefit. The interval between the two doses would be between 21 and 28 days, according to an official. He said that meant people would not be fully protected until 14 days after the second dose.
The government made the correct call to invest in getting early access to the Pfizer vaccine, a deal that would get New Zealand about 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines - or enough for 750,000 people. But that's subject to the makers of those vaccines - Pfizer and BioNTech - successfully completing Phase III clinical trials, and passing regulatory approvals here. A spokesman did make the coveat that they did still have to complete the critical Phase 3 trials and one of the questions still to be answered was about the remaining 10% or so that didn’t pick up any virus protection. Are these individuals more or less vulnerable to catching the virus? No doubt elderly and other vulnerable people along with those having to deal with incoming cases at the border will be the priority groups to receive the first run out of vaccines whenever that occurs.
With a potential end in sight for the virus, be it twelve months away or so, the next major cab of the rank is the effects of climate change.
Within New Zealand we will have our own set of problems, this week’s flooding is no doubt a small precursor of things to come (along with droughts, winds etc.). However, our small neighbors’ to the north, i.e. the Pacific Islands are going to be far greater affected.
Isn’t it about time our on-again off-again RSE started to be seen as more of a lifeline to climate refugees from the Pacific and a proper program of skills training and a more permanent arrangement be made?
New Zealand is going to increasingly require more skilled labour and the Pacific is going to increasingly require permanent assistance as sea levels rise and the ferocity of storms increases.
At the moment while the RSE provide some help to both horticulture and the Pacific Islands a more long-term arrangement needs to be made. New Zealand has been fortunate in being out of the direct firing line of refugees coming out of the Middle East, Africa and Central America (to name some) and not having to look them in the eyes. But some additional responsibility needs to be taken for those that rely upon us and sooner rather than later. The PM’s with her family connection to Niue, Tokelau, Samoa among other islands, (Ross Ardern (Her father) was appointed Commissioner of Police for the Pacific island of Niue in 2005 for a two-year term, which was extended to four years. During this time, he was chair of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police for one year. Ross Ardern also served as New Zealand Police liaison officer for the South Pacific, based in Samoa, from 2009 to 2013. In October 2013, he was named by Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully as the next High Commissioner of New Zealand to Niue. He took up the post in February 2014. On 15 December 2017, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, announced that Ardern would be the next Administrator of Tokelau, from early 2018 a position he is still serving in) is likely to be very well acquainted with the problems around climate change and all its ramifications in the Pacific.
An irony is that Polynesia, despite being largely free of Covid-19 right through the pandemic (Tahiti aside), we are hearing reports that a cargo ship with infected crew members spent 22 hours at Apia Samoa. While no ‘community cases’ have yet been revealed the likelihood must be reasonably high. If an outbreak does occur in Samoa it would be a disaster for them with the potential finishing line in sight as well as for the RSE program.
A report published in 2019 using 2018 numbers shows that within the horticulture industry the labour force is made up of 55% domestic workers, 16% seasonal (RSE) and 29% backpackers and other migrant workers. With 45% of workers sourced from outside the borders the problem of where labour is to come from is rapidly going to ‘hit the fan’.
It is almost too late to set things right for this season, but it would be good to see some productive conversations taking place.
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24 Comments
Wait for the howls of anguish when the strawberries, kiwifruit, new potatoes, salad greens etc either go through the roof price wise or disappear altogether off the christmas table. Might see a reversal of opinion about the RSEs - the new essential workers? Unfortunately it'll be too late by then. Avocado and kiwifruit markets overseas will be vulnerable to supply shocks caused by delayed harvesting, as will cherries - all high value crops. The economic damage caused by NZ border policy is yet to be seen.
You seem to be missing the small but rather important point that if the price rises then the volume sold tends to drop - end result nothing changes (nett return) for the producer. Also potential price rises will be driven by a lack of supply - again the producer loses.
I've yet to see a consumer volunteer to pay more than the bottom dollar possible so when that changes then perhaps wages can rise. Most primary producers are making very little return as it is now. I had a 5ha mandarin orchard that I ripped out because after all costs I was earning the princely sum of ZERO for my time which is obviously unworkable. I now run beef cattle on it.
FH, I ran the orchard for over 12 years of never ending struggle and miserly returns so it wasn't a kneejerk reaction. I now make significantly more off the cattle per unit input with far less stress and significantly more enjoyment. The trees were far from an inherent value store - quite the opposite. They are labour, time and financial black holes totally dependant on everything lining up perfectly to be profitable. I soon learnt that the only people who made any money were the ones that didn't touch the fruit - marketters, packhouses, wholesalers, supermarkets, freighters and hort supply companies. Unless you've actually experienced it I suggest (respectfully) you have no idea.
Ok mate chill I take your point there was not enough in the orchard to justify it why else would you pull out a perfectly good bunch of trees.... am considering that one day we can plant up some land we have but biding our time. You said that the mandarins were on 5 ha but that you have 16 ha total. 5ha of beefies won't make you rich and if you sell stock at wrong time of year like beginning of 2020 you will be going backwards. I think you would agree with that.
Fh I never said the stock would make me rich. I said the stock make more money (after costs) with a lot less stress and much more enjoyment. I've been running stock for the same amount of time as running the orchard so I know what I'm doing and am never a forced seller. BTW no one sells stock going into summer unless they've run out of feed, i.e they're overstocked. I suggest you speak to some people who have done the orchard thing before you leap in and do your sums. Good luck
We are not set up well enough for cattle so we run wiltshire sheep and boer goats for now.... a neighbour has 2 or 300 head of cattle he has on leased land as well as his own land, he loves doing that but he seems to often go around feeding out and checking them. I am more into development and leasing than farming but I do want to slowly transition into sheep/beef or something else.
If your land is more suited for sheep and goats you'll probably struggle getting weight on cattle in any great degree and you do need a good set of yards at least. I buy 100 to 120kg steer calves and usually take them through to 2yr olds. It's pretty easy but I do my own hay so don't need to buy that in. A lightish stocking rate helps too - I run 20 - 25 on about 13ha effective. I'm only on a lifestyle block, but run the cattle as a "hobby", They pay the rates, fert, water and cover all their costs with a bit left over. Bought 23 calves 2 yrs ago @ $460/hd, and sold 18 yrlngs @ 960 in Jan, will sell the last 5 soon @ about 1250/hd. I've found orcharding is an all year job - mowing, spraying, pruning etc. Cattle are much easier and I can do it single handed.
Kiwi fruit are high in oxalates so not as good for you as one would think.
My daughter tried to get a job in an orchard, was shocked at how poor the pay was, this is seasonal work only when it's not wet and yet min wage, meat works too lots of very low wages, one cannot live on these wages with rents so high.
The big money in fruit and veg is captured by the supermarkets, they need to be held to account.
"The big money in fruit and veg is captured by the supermarkets, they need to be held to account." - they certainly have the market cornered and the suppliers at their mercy, I agree. However if consumers were prepared to support their local independant fruit and vege store and butchery some market power would be dispersed. Unfortunately consumers are inherently lazy - they want all their needs catered for in one place with a convenient carpark thrown in. The supermarket model is premised (very successfully) around that behavioural factor, the same factor that supports all "Big Box" retailers - the vast majority of whom are offshore owned
Advisor, The hort industry has their 'professional seasonal' staff just like snowfields and shearers etc. It is the Quality Controllers, Supervisors, logistics and top tier packhouse operators that requires skillsets. There will not be enough packhouses in Central Otago to process the cherry harvest in the next 2/3years unless more are built and or extended. These require skilled operators especially if they go down the route of more automation.
CO, I think Advisor is just parroting the tired and illinformed monotone constantly spouted by those who have absolutely no personal experience in the Primary industry but rely on snippets and soundbites from MSM to inform them - little realising that the articles are designed to attract clicks and thus sell advertising. It's tiresome but probably best ignored rather than trying to educate
If my grandparents came back to our local towns today they would think there had been a war. Our local villages and towns are but shadows of their former selves. I believe that is because money has been captured by centralisation and monopoly/ duopoly corporates. Taxes leave to never come back.
We get welfare payments in exchange.
Andrew I've seen exactly that sort of hollowing out happen to three of the local towns surrounding me over the last 30yrs. Once vibrant fully serviced towns with a dynamic community and flourishing sports teams reduced to boarded up ghost towns with no banks, few shops other than takeaways, a supermarket and a wholesale liquor o/l, all centralised into one larger centre dominated by "big box retailers" with a few niche retailers and multiple bars and restaurants (now struggling with no tourism driven customers). It's the slow but inexorable death of rural NZ that goes unnoticed unless you live in it. Certainly ignored by our so called "representatives"
Maybe we should be looking in our own back yard ie Sth Auckland with more awareness among the younger workers. Maybe some sort of a Govt recruitment drive. After immigrating to NZ as a youngster I grew up in Sth Auckland never had any idea about farms, but ultimately ended up farming. So I believe awareness in possibilities will encourage people to do things. But I do agree wages need to improve. I don't mind paying a bit more if workers are payed properly.
Hans 'wages do need to improve' - from what to what exactly? Pickers earned on average between $25 and $26 an hour in the cherry season, Jones said. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/123292545/slow-demand-for-cheap-camper…
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