HortNZ have provided the following synopsis from the 2020 budget:
Yesterday, Finance Minister Grant Robertson unveiled the Government’s 2020 Budget: Rebuilding Together.
As a part of the primary sector, it is heartening to see the Government acknowledge the important role that horticulture will play in New Zealand economic and social recovery.
HortNZ and fruit and vegetable product groups are engaging with senior people in the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to ensure that money available from the Government is spent on research and development projects that transform our industry and help it improve its competitiveness. At the same time, we want to see the Government invest in infrastructure projects like water storage that are important at a regional level and will assist those communities.
People are one of our industry’s major assets. For years, we have suffered from labour and skill shortages. We welcome the Government’s investment in encouraging New Zealanders to take up careers in the primary sector, through promotion and training, and support for employers.
This newsletter puts in one place all the Budget announcements of relevance to growers.
Major initiatives
Access to imported plant breeding material
The Government is investing $38.5 million over the next four years to ensure our sector can access new plant breeding material to help stay ahead of international competition. On top of this, $6.8 million will be invested by MPI on secure greenhouse units for new imported plant varieties and breeding material.
‘This will help the high-performing sector to develop innovative high-value crops and cultivars, while protecting New Zealand from high impact pests,’ said Agriculture Minister, Damien O’Connor.
Helping unemployed New Zealanders into work in the primary sector
The Government is investing $19.3 million over the next four years to help recently unemployed New Zealanders access training and work opportunities in the primary sector.
‘The initiative aims to place at least 10,000 New Zealanders in primary sector jobs by rapidly retraining and absorbing workers displaced from other sectors like hospitality and aviation,’ said Agriculture Minister, Damien O’Connor.
At the same time, the Government is investing $1.6 billion in trades and apprenticeships training.
HortNZ Chief Executive, Mike Chapman said there are some fantastic career opportunities in horticulture. ‘This is thanks to increasing sophistication across plant varieties, growing techniques, harvesting practices, and sales and marketing. Within these areas, there are an infinite variety of roles, from hands on, to technical to management.
‘We’re really keen to see as many kiwis as possible join horticulture as part of New Zealand’s economic and social recovery. At the same time, we will still need skilled workers from the Pacific under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, particularly as we will not have the backpacker community to fill gaps.
‘The RSE scheme has played a key role in our industry’s expansion over the past decade, which in turn, has created hundreds of jobs for kiwis. We do not see that situation changing,’ said Mike.
Ensuring New Zealanders have fresh fruit and vegetables
We feel that COVID-19 has shone a light on food security in New Zealand and the importance of ensuring every New Zealand has enough fresh, healthy food to eat. However, HortNZ believes there is still work to do to increase the Government’s understanding of the impact of central and regional government decisions on growers’ ability to grow produce and get it to market, with minimal environmental impact.
Budget 2020 expanded the school lunch programme considerably. By the middle of next year, 200,000 more children will get a free lunch every day, with the programme creating around 2,000 new jobs. The school lunch programme, launched in 2019, currently feeds 8000 children.
Over the next 10 weeks, the Government has funded the Fruit in Schools programme to deliver an extra 100,000 fruit and vegetable boxes. This is part of a scheme to ensure that fruit, vegetables, eggs and other fresh produce does not go to waste due to COVID-19’s disruption of supply chains.
Immediate financial relief for small businesses
The wage support scheme – set to expire in June – has been extended by another eight weeks. From 10 June, firms that can prove their revenue has halved over the previous 30 days compared to the year before will be eligible. The payment remains at $585 per fulltime worker and will be paid to employers in a lump sum. Click here for more details.
The Small Business Cashflow (Loan) Scheme (SBCS) is an interest free loan scheme for small businesses. They must have 50 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees. Inland Revenue will administer the payments and repayments of this scheme. Applications will be open from 12 May 2020 to 12 June 2020 inclusive. Click here for more details.
Message from Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group
We are aware some international visitors on Temporary Work Visas have finished or will be finishing soon their seasonal work and are unable to return home due to the COVID-19 situation.
Many of these workers are young people a long way from home and may find themselves in difficult, potentially unsafe situations as their seasonal work finishes and they no longer receive income for their basic needs, including accommodation. Anecdotally, some are sleeping in cars as they have nowhere else to go.
As an employer or accommodation provider, we ask that you support those who remain here on a temporary visa as much as you are able – notwithstanding we acknowledge you will have your own circumstances to contend with.
This may be by providing:
If you are unable to support these workers, please help them to connect with our local Hawke’s Bay welfare system by calling 0800 422 923 (0800 HBAY CD). They can talk to someone to work out what they need and how we can help them. This number is for those who have no other options so if you’re in a position to support the workers yourselves, we ask that you do so.
This is a stressful time for many – if people are needing to talk with someone, there is also a free support line they can call or text 1737. If English is a barrier they will do their best to find a support person that speaks their language.
Please note that this is only for Hawkes Bay – those in other regions would need to contact their local Civil Defence Group: https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/find-your-civil-defence-group/
NZ Digital and Marketing Infusion were engaged with the development of the logo. The complexity of this rebrand, was the need to represent three sectors within one visual identity.
Creative Director of NZ Digital, Scott Bloomer said, “The brief for this project was complex. When businesses approach us, it is with the requirement to develop a brand identity pertinent to their core function. But what we needed to develop for HBFA was an identity that represented three sectors – pipfruit, kiwifruit and summerfruit but also reflected elements that represented Hawkes Bay. We managed to encapsulate the sectors seamlessly in the identity and the visual elements have been supported by very tasteful local photography!
President of HBFA, Ben James, said the rebrand has also been an opportunity to improve communication platforms.
“We acknowledge the dynamics within the industry have evolved rapidly over the past 10 years. We need to encourage younger individuals/students to participate in horticulture, whilst still being able to communicate to what is a large proportion of our membership base whom have been involved in the industry for 30-40 years plus.
The Association has been working with Marketing Infusion since August 2019 to review its strategic framework.
“We carried out our own due diligence to assess what our members expected from the Association, what our demographic profile was and how we could better engage with our members and the industry. What has resulted from this has been the establishment of social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn profiles, the development of a new website that is intuitive and easy to navigate around, and a revised sponsorship and membership framework,” says James.
“What we are also excited about, is the increase year on year, of graduates coming out of EIT and Primary ITO with horticulture qualifications. The sector is going through a boom phase and we just can’t get enough of suitably qualified graduates to fill horticulture roles at the moment. There are plenty of career opportunities for those with the passion, drive and motivation to become future leaders of the industry”.
“Covid-19 has really affected all businesses. To claim “it’s business as usual” in the industry would be to ignore the reality and severity of the situation. Horticulture has been significantly impacted by the border closures- we are right in the midst of harvest and backpackers whom the industry relies heavily on, are just not there.”
James said, that although the launch of the website comes in the midst of a crisis, the silver lining for the Association has been the establishment of the social media platforms. “In a time when an industry needs to collaborate in the sense of information sharing, we now have engagement platforms that industry and members can access.
Until such time that confidence and certainty around Covid-19 has been regained, we will be postponing our event and networking series. The health of individuals and viability of the industry is our paramount concern.”
If members or growers have any concerns, please contact HBFA President, Ben James, president@hbfa.co.nz or 022 091 0871.
The Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association considers the health and safety of our members, employees, and stakeholders to be our highest priority.
As a valued HBFA member or partner we would like to let you know the controls we have put in place to minimise risks.
Restricting visitors: Our offices and operational facilities are now closed for the following 4 weeks during the lock-down period.
Meetings: All meetings will be held via online conferencing for the forseeable future. This position will be reviewed after the 4 week lock down period.
Personal hygiene: To help everyone minimise the spread of COVID-19, it’s important we all maintain good personal hygiene, this includes:
HBFA thanks you for your support in helping us ensure the spread of Covid-19 virus is minimised through combined community actions.
For detailed information please visit www.covid19.govt.nz
Apples and pears have been a New Zealand treasure since the first trees were planted in Kerikeri by missionary Samuel Marsden in 1819. Two centuries later, the top fruit industry is a significant earner for the nation’s economy, on track to achieve its goal of $1 billion in export earnings by 2022.
Last week, NZ Apples and Pears Inc -the industry body that represents the country’s top fruit industry- celebrated the 200 year milestone with a gathering at Parliament hosted by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. O’Connor says the apples and pears industry is a significant contributor to New Zealand’s export revenue, its regional economy and employment.
“Occasions like this are a great opportunity to celebrate how fast the industry is growing and plan for future success. Our apple and pear exports are in high demand – the volume of production is increasing and higher prices are being achieved. The industry’s exports increased in value from $370 million in 2012 to $870 million in 2019, which reflects an increase in both the volume and value of exports, driven by changes in variety mix and a shift in market focus from Europe to Asia. I would like to acknowledge New Zealand Apples and Pears and all industry for the commitment and hard work they have put into growing this sector.”
NZ Apples and Pears chief executive Alan Pollard said he was delighted that Ministers, MPs, officials, industry leaders past and present and industry colleagues could join the team to celebrate the bicentenary. “Introducing apples and pears into New Zealand in 1819, Samuel Marsden couldn’t have imagined that he was laying the foundation for what would become the world’s most competitive apple industry, recognised for leading edge varietal development, and on orchard and post-harvest innovation.”
“The industry is proud of what it has achieved and its contribution to the country’s health, wealth and well-being. It is one of the most successful apple and pear industries in the world, sustainably producing safe and quality fruit that consumers in over 80 countries around the world enjoy and can rely on.”
As reported on voxy.co.nz¸ provincial New Zealand has benefited hugely from the growth in the top fruit industry, employing around 3,500 permanent staff and 15,000 seasonal staff and responsible for bringing in between $2.6b and $4.3b in indirect economic benefit to the provinces.
