Bumper cherry crop needs more pickers

Central Otago orchardists are on track to triple the quantity of last year's crop this season as hot dry weather creates near perfect conditions for growers.

Summerfruit New Zealand chairman Basil Goodman said the quality and quantity of this year's crop was the best he'd seen and could easily triple last year's efforts, which yielded about 1400 tonnes, and double the previous best harvest.

Some cherry growers lost up to 70 percent of their crops during the past three seasons, while this season there was only about 20 to 30 percent damage in some areas.

The news was fantastic for the industry and New Zealand's economy, with the cherries expected to command good prices on the international market, Mr Goodman said.

All the region needed now was workers, he said.

More than 500 people were needed during the next three weeks to pick the late cherry and apricot crop. Mr Goodman is urging tourists on Working Holiday Scheme visas to head to the region.

Mr Goodman said that a meeting in Dunedin on Monday between the Department of Labour, the Ministry of Social Development and himself would hopefully help clear some of the problems experienced with workers because of the Recognised Seasonal Employment Scheme.

"We need to be able to move forward, removing the impediments in place which prevent us getting people into work as the apple season in Hawke's Bay is just three weeks away and the kiwifruit in Tauranga is March and they will strike the same problems unless something is done," Mr Goodman said.

Horticulture New Zealand national seasonal co-ordinator Jerf van Beek said the situation in some areas was critical.

Nelson and Hawke's Bay alone need more than 17,500 workers from early February.

"We need to get the fruit off the trees..." he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News