News Hub New Zealand | 5 November 2018
The horticulture and viticulture industries are set to benefit from the Government’s decision to allow more overseas seasonal workers.
The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme will increase the cap on foreign workers by 1750 to 12,850.
The scheme, which has been in place since 2007, allows employers to recruit workers from overseas for seasonal work when there are not enough New Zealand workers.
Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said it will provide much-needed labour for the horticulture and viticulture industries, which have experienced significant growth in recent years.
“Industry reports say that since 2015, apple and kiwifruit orchards have increased in value by around 70 percent each and the 2018 wine vintage was 2.6 percent larger than the previous year,” he said.
The increase in the gap addresses worker shortages across industries and regions, notably in the past year.
CLICK TO READ ARTICLE