“Usually this time of year we have lots of European backpackers floating around and this year we don’t.” Wineries and contractors were aware of the labour crunch and had been trying to get more staff via advertising and through Work and Income, he said. “We just don’t have the number of people that we require to do the handpicking in our region.” The harvest was due to start in early March and run for just over a month. Viticultural contractors were searching nationwide, but a lack of affordable accommodation in Martinborough also made it difficult to recruit. Panadda Wall, of Wall Horticultural Services, said they didn’t have enough staff for this year’s Wairarapa harvest and they were desperately seeking more with the start of the crop ready in two or three weeks.
Black Spoke favoured in classic
Aaron Gate winning stage one of the 2020 NZ Cycle Classic. PHOTO/DAVE LINTOTT
CYCLING
chris.cogdale@age.co.nz
Black Spoke Pro Cycling Academy are warm favourites to win the five-stage New Zealand Cycle Classic which started yesterday in Masterton.
Black Spoke, New Zealand’s only professional Union Cycliste Internationale team, took team honours in the 2020 tour, while 2019 champion Aaron Gate finished second in the general classification.
The team’s build-up to this year’s tour started with a two-week training camp in Wairarapa in October to familiarise themselves with the region’s roads.
While here Black Spoke also competed in a race of the Trust House North Island Team Series.