Nigel Tutt Chief Executive of Priority One

March in the Bay of Plenty means that the kiwifruit season is about to kick off.

Many readers will be aware that this is a big industry for our region and the country. While kiwifruit is grown in several regions across both islands, the Bay of Plenty harvests around 80 per cent of the crop.

Kiwifruit is a relatively unique product; the industry has managed to grow volume as well as value consistently – not an easy task in a world filled with commodity fruit. It can do this because of a smart and well organised marketing organisation in Zespri and a focus on high value.

This has seen heavy investment from Zespri, alongside Plant and Food, in proprietary plant varieties that deliver to both commercial and customer needs. Being a healthy, nutritious product certainly hasn't hurt over the last year either.

This time last year we were a bit nervous for the kiwifruit industry. Harvest coincided with the onset of the Covid lockdown, with high levels of uncertainty around employment but also a lack of foreign labour to help the industry out. It was pleasing to see some staff re-employed on orchards and in packhouses.

Labour is an ongoing area of focus for the industry; the nature of horticulture means that there is a peak to labour requirements for picking and packing. The industry has come under fire occasionally for the number of foreign workers it employs under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme.

While desire to employ Kiwis is understandable, it is unrealistic to expect people to flock to a job for only a few months – the RSE scheme is a very pragmatic solution and is common across New Zealand.

The rate of pay has also attracted attention at times. It is very encouraging to see the industry work together to lift minimum pay rates this year. NZ Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated reports that nearly all packhouses are adopting the living wage ($22.10 per hour) as a minimum, with picking jobs expected to attract around $24 per hour. This will undoubtedly attract more Kiwis into the industry and will be an additional boost for the local economy.