Fruit is rotting in one of New Zealand's main growing regions because there are not enough pickers.
The labour shortage is the single biggest worry for Hawkes Bay fruitgrowers.
Len Thompson of Johnny Appleseed said he would need at least 200 pickers when the Braeburn harvest started nextweek and he was "nervous" about finding them.
"Getting the fruit off at the right maturity is a problem. If fruit is allowed to over-mature we end up with mixed-quality cartons and an inconsistent product."
He said he had heard of growers struggling to get their Royal Gala off the trees. One grower had Royal Gala apple and Golden Queen peach crops ripe at the same time, but no pickers, so was forced to let one crop fall on the ground.
Even permanent staff were hard to find. At the moment he had three part-time vacancies from 9am to 3pm, ideally suited to women with young children, but could not fill them.
He said the company had even set up its own bus service so people without transport, such as backpackers, could get to work and back. The intention was to run the bus service for the whole season.
Twyford orchardist Richard Griffiths said he needed 12 pickers on his small orchard, Huawhenua. At present he had only three he could rely on.
"When the fruit gets over-ripe on the tree that's when I get sleepless nights."
Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers' Association executive officer Dianne Vesty said low unemployment and the high New Zealand dollar meant growers were struggling to find workers.
She said a partial solution was in the works with a bill being drafted in Parliament to allow growers to advertise overseas for up to 5000 workers.
