Business / Food

Central Otago fruit growers confident in picker numbers

05:44 am on 9 December 2021

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Central Otago Fruit growers say they are confident they will have enough workers to pick this summer season despite border closures. Usually New Zealand relies heavily on Pacific island RSE workers and foreign backbackers as cheap labor during the busy harvest season. But as Ella Stewart reports, as the stonefruit season moves into full swing more local students are filling in the jobs, along with some locals keen for more work.