New Zealand: 14,329 more kiwifruit workers wanted for Bay by 2030
One local business leader called it “arguably the biggest success story for economic development in the region'', while others believe the major challenge would be finding people and providing affordable housing for those who took up seasonal jobs.
Zespri head of grower relations Dave Courtney said the industry was on track to more than double global sales to $4.5 billion by 2025. Zespri had also employed more staff: numbers had jumped from 350 in the 2015/16 annual review to more than 500 in 2017/18 - and it now exported to nearly 60 countries.
Nzherald.co.nz quoted a report by Waikato University Professor Frank Scrimgeour that said worker projections were very strong in the Bay of Plenty. It had 10,762 full-time equivalent jobs at that time and predicted there would be an additional 14,329 jobs by 2030 - alongside a 135 per cent increase or $2.4b, GDP contribution. Priority One projects manager Annie Hill: “it is arguably the biggest success story for economic development in the region''.
