To Kiwis (New Zealanders) scattered all over the world
I want you to come back and help me harvest the kiwi fruit.
And, a request...!?
Kiwi fruit harvest begins
This season's kiwifruit harvest has begun in Te Puke, a kiwifruit-growing region in the Bay of Plenty on the north coast of the North Island.
The harvest is scheduled to take place over the next four months, and Zespri says it expects to surpass last year's harvest of 5.3 billion kiwifruit, a record high this year.
However, this figure is based on the assumption that there will be enough manpower available for the harvest.
Kiwifruit is New Zealand's largest export crop. Its export value is more than wine, at over 230 billion yen. If the kiwifruit harvest cannot be completed as planned, it will result in a huge economic loss.
Coronavirus causes serious labor shortage
60% of the people involved in kiwifruit harvesting are local people, 20% are migrant workers from the Pacific Islands, and the remaining 20% are long-term travelers known as backpackers and foreigners staying on working holidays. However, due to entry restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it has become difficult to secure personnel from abroad.
The unemployment rate in New Zealand is currently 3.2%. It was about 4% before COVID-19, and rose to 5.3% at one point due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has gradually improved since 2021 and is now at its lowest in the last 20 years. Yes, New Zealand is simply short of manpower...
Colin Bond, chief executive of New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc., an organisation that brings together kiwifruit farmers,
A simple calculation would suggest that there is a shortage of around 6,000 people, a number that would normally be filled by backpackers.He commented.
Our biggest challenge right now is finding ways to fill this shortage of personnel, so we would like to ask New Zealanders for their cooperation.
Will red kiwis be available this year?
Zespri's newly developed new variety , "Red Kiwi," which was released in limited quantities in Japan last year, is also expected to be harvested in large quantities this year.View this post on Instagram
By the way, Zespri decided to name this red "Zespri RubyRed" in October last year. (I wonder how it will be in Japan...?)
Not only are the insides of the red apples different from those of the green apples, but the shape and color of the skin are also different, and the skin can be eaten (though some people eat the skin of the green apples). It also has a high antioxidant effect, and is rich in not only vitamin C, but also folic acid, potassium, and vitamin E.
The main countries to which Red is exported are Asian countries such as Japan, Singapore and China. Therefore, Australians who are allowed to enter NZ earlier than other countries,
I hope you will pick and eat these reds, which are not available in Australia.
We are calling for this.
By the way, the minimum wage in New Zealand is about 1,600 yen per hour, and the average hourly wage for kiwi fruit harvesting is about 2,000 yen. Working holidays are scheduled to resume in March. Young people who are considering a working holiday should definitely consider New Zealand.
