It's a balancing act for the Hawke's Bay horticulture industry, with an RSE country hoping for an increase in the number of their workers employed in the region.
As part of a national tour, Kiribati Minister for Labour and Human Resources Development Ruateki Tekaiara met Tukituki MP Craig Foss yesterday to discuss opportunities provided to Kiribatians through the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme - which allows growers to bring in overseas-based labour for seasonal work.
They also spoke about how it was working for the Pacific country, any issues around the number able to work in Hawke's Bay through the scheme, and elements of it which could be improved.
Mr Tekaiara said they were asking for the number of workers involved in the RSE scheme - which was very supportive - to be increased.
Currently, there are over 160 Kiribatians involved in the scheme in New Zealand.