No saves for Hawke s Bay fruit growers from Jacinda Ardern, so can a student army save Hawke s Bay s crop?
11 Mar, 2021 04:55 AM
4 minutes to read
Minister of Agriculture Damien O Connor, left, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speak to the media at Askerne Estate Winery in Havelock North. Photo / Warren Buckland
If Jacinda Ardern can t solve Hawke s Bay s labour shortage, perhaps the region s students can. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern didn t announce any major new salves for the industry during a visit in Havelock North on Thursday, as growers across the region continue to struggle to find enough workers to pick a bumper 2021 crop.
Set among the vines of Askerne Wines on the outskirts of Havelock North, Ardern was in deep discussions with farming leaders and horticulturalists on “issues they were facing” for most of the morning. “For a long time we’ve wanted to get out and visit with them and their sectors on the ground,” she said. The region faced another dry summer following on from last year, which saw pastures starved of rain until June. But the prime minister’s visit was welcomed with a heavy dose of rain, one that the region s farmers had been crying out for.
Bejon Haswell/Stuff
No saves for Hawke s Bay fruit growers from Jacinda Ardern, so can a student army save Hawke s Bay s crop? nzherald.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nzherald.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Livestock trucks turned away from Hawke s Bay meatworks amid unprecedented worker shortage
8 Mar, 2021 10:20 PM
5 minutes to read
Worker shortages related to Covid-19, competition from the horticulture sector and increased sick leave and minimum wage are being blamed for delays at meat processing plants. Photo / Supplied
Worker shortages related to Covid-19, competition from the horticulture sector and increased sick leave and minimum wage are being blamed for delays at meat processing plants. Photo / Supplied
Livestock already loaded onto trucks are being turned back in Hawke s Bay because workers are choosing to pick fruit over labouring in the meatworks. Craig Hickson, of Progressive Meats in Hastings, said his company was
Hawke s Bay apple growers face picking crisis nzherald.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nzherald.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.