In New Zealand agriculture, the labor shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic is growing; farmers are concerned about the upcoming harvest. The cause is not the high number of infections, but the strict entry rules and quarantine requirements for incoming foreign workers.
The national farmers’ association recently warned of significant staff shortages that threatened the cultivation of arable crops and could also lead to feed shortages. For example, the production of silage is already being disrupted by a lack of external labor while a dry period is approaching.
Although the New Zealand government approved the arrival of several hundred specialized workers and machinery operators from Great Britain and Ireland in September, only 58 ultimately showed up. The main reason: a lack of spaces in the special quarantine facilities. Hotels in New Zealand have been fully cleared for arriving foreign visitors.
Normally, at this time of year, many hundreds of workers would receive contracts for silage-making after the grain harvest, but this could become a bottleneck if nothing changes. New Zealand is particularly strict about admitting unknown foreigners due to concerns about coronavirus transmission. So far, the country has reported a total of only 1,635 cases.
The national horticultural organization says the prospects for the coming harvest are promising, but recruiting seasonal workers is a major problem. "We estimate that despite a significant increase in the number of working New Zealanders, we will still face a staff shortage of about 10,000 people," said association chair Barry O’Neil.
He therefore called on the New Zealand government to “open the border now” so that people from coronavirus-free Pacific countries could come to harvest. This has worked well over the past 13 years as part of a program for a limited number of recognized seasonal employers.