A plea by a South Canterbury orchard for pickers to help it through the peak of picking season has received an unanticipated positive response. According to manager James Anderson from the Waipopo Orchards partnership, they issued a plea to other businesses to help them find staff after fears they could lose part of their crop. A shortage of overseas workers had combined to create a concerning reality for orchardists as they approach peak harvest time.
Having filled just under half of the 100-plus openings required to get the job done, Waipopo Orchards sent a plea out to the business community via the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. The company asked other businesses to offer up staff to help them harvest apples in a letter sent via the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce.
Anderson said by Monday afternoon they had signed up 40 seasonal workers and on Tuesday another 35 were inducted. “We’ve had a great response from the general community and groups like Federated Farmers. But we’re not out of the woods, yet. We still have a few weeks in front of us,” he said. Other growers had also offered to help, he said.
Source: stuff.co.nz
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