Pacific pickers arrive in quarantine, but Hawke's Bay growers not out of woods

Hawke's Bay orchardists will welcome the arrival of RSE workers from the Pacific region, albeit in smaller numbers than usual. Photo / Paul Taylor

The first of up to 2000 seasonal workers from the Pacific region arrived in New Zealand on Sunday, with many of them travelling on to Hawke's Bay orchards once they complete 14 days in managed isolation.

Sunday saw the first of four special flights organised to bring workers from Samoa linked with the Recognised Seasonal Employment scheme touch down in Auckland yesterday.

The rest of the 780 workers from Samoa will arrive on three further flights on Thursday, next Monday and next Friday, before RSE workers from Vanuatu start coming into the country.

The arrivals will be welcome news to growers like Yummy Fruit Company general manager Paul Paynter, who told RNZ about 150 university students who have been picking stonefruit for Yummy in Hawke's Bay over summer will go back to their studies in the next few weeks.

He also said the imminent apple harvest will start earlier than normal this year due to warm temperatures, and Yummy needed around 800 workers at the peak of the season.

"We're going to keep plugging away, because if we don't, we won't pick the crop," Paynter said of efforts to attract New Zealanders to Hawke's Bay for picking work.

Samoa has had no reported Covid cases since late last year and the country has yet to experience community transmission of the virus.

At Samoa's Faleolo International Airport yesterday there were scenes of excitement as families and friends of those heading to New Zealand gathered to say goodbye to loved ones.

Those taking part in the RSE scheme could be easily spotted with everyone in the group sporting a red and white island-printed Aloha shirt.

There are, however, some conditions to this season - one being that only those workers with at least one season of experience here are eligible to come.

Immigration NZ has been supporting officials from respective Pacific countries about the necessary measures each person will have to take this season; including providing a list of items to pack and what to expect in the fortnight they will be in isolation.

For employers, only those with an Agreement to Recruit classification will be able to employ RSE workers from overseas.

Employers will have to make several "additional commitments", as laid out by Immigration officials.