The kiwifruit harvest was lower than predicted this year. Photo / Jamie Troughton
The kiwifruit harvest was lower than predicted this year. Photo / Jamie Troughton
Labour supply, crop loading and weather are believed to be drivers of the lower than predicted kiwifruit harvest this year.
This year's harvest of kiwifruit - New Zealand's largest horticultural export- is largely complete, with almost all 2800 growers' orchards from Kerikeri to Motueka picked, according to New Zealand KiwifruitGrowers Incorporated (NZKGI)
This season was expected to have a record-breaking crop of at least 190 million trays of kiwifruit, overtaking last year's record of over 177 million trays.
On average, each tray has around 30 pieces of kiwifruit.
However, revisions in the forecast indicate that this year's volume will be below last year, thought to be due to labour supply, crop loading and weather with an investigation ongoing, NZKGI said.
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There are a range of things growers can do to their vines to control the volume of fruit grown on their orchard, such as pruning in winter and summer, pollination practices, bud thinning and fruit thinning.
By doing this, growers can influence the number and size of the fruit they grow.
Despite the uncertainty of seasonal labour supply at the beginning of the year, all growers had the opportunity to have their kiwifruit picked and packed.
The success of the 2022 kiwifruit harvest hinged on the ability of the industry's supply chain to operate effectively, with a restricted labour supply under the changing Covid-19 settings.
The 24,000 seasonal workers required to pick and pack the crop were restricted due to Covid-19 infection rates, as well as closed borders, which limited the 6500 backpackers traditionally used during harvest.
NZKGI chief executive Colin Bond said the experience of Covid-19 from the two previous seasons gave the industry the foresight to streamline processes across the supply chain to mitigate foreseeable risks.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) chief executive Colin Bond. Photo / Supplied
"Growers and the wider industry were under immense pressure to ensure that New Zealand's kiwifruit was harvested.
"Our industry plays a critical role in employing both permanent and seasonal workers as well as supporting local businesses associated with the industry in our kiwifruit regions."
He gave a special mention to the RSE workers from the Pacific Islands who "stepped up under extraordinary circumstances" to fill roles where Kiwis could not be found.
"Getting all the fruit off the vines would have been unlikely without them."
To attract seasonal workers to pick and pack in the harvest, NZKGI implemented the fourth year of its campaign to advertise seasonal jobs to New Zealanders.
The campaign included the implementation of a diverse range of mediums to promote roles as well as information on what to expect about working in the industry.
Almost all packhouses told NZKGI that they would be paying at least the living wage of $22.75 per hour.
Kiwifruit picking was also expected to exceed the living wage with an average of $27 per hour paid last year when the minimum wage was $20 per hour.
NZKGI is currently surveying the industry to ascertain the final pay rates for this season. Growers have experienced a continuation of increased costs this year such as pay rates, impacting upon their business's profitability.
The increase in areas such as labour, fuel and shipping, alongside the forecast lower crop volume, will impact grower returns. Grower returns are also important for the economic contribution brought to the communities.
The kiwifruit industry contributed $2.2bn to communities last year.
