increase font size
The Government has announced travel dates for quarantine travel for RSE workers from Vanuatu, Samoa and Tonga.
As part of a programme of work to reopen borders and reconnect with the world, the Government has announced the commencement dates for quarantine free travel for Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers into New Zealand.
From 4 October, RSE workers from Vanuatu can begin arriving in New Zealand and from 12 October RSE workers from Samoa and Tonga can begin arriving.
“This will provide much needed certainty for our growers as they gear up for summer and autumn harvesting,” says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor.
People arriving under the scheme must meet strict health conditions, including requirements to be vaccinated with at least one dose pre-departure, the completion of a period of self-isolation on arrival, and the returning of two negative Covid tests on Day 0 and Day 5. Employers are expected to provide the self-isolation facilities.
If workers have only received one dose of the vaccine, they are expected to complete their vaccination after they arrive in New Zealand.
“Despite the challenges of a Covid world, which has constrained the number of RSE workers who could come through MIQ, the Government has remained committed to the RSE scheme,” O’Connor says.
“The horticulture sector is worth over $6 billion to New Zealand exports. Having people coming to our shores through the RSE scheme to harvest and prune is essential to us maintaining our economic recovery from Covid-19, a recovery which is very much export-led.
“We are also aware of the positive impact the scheme has on our Pacific neighbours with the benefits of the hard work done by RSE workers flowing back home from our shores.”
The commencement of quarantine free travel for RSE workers forms a pilot scheme to test systems in preparation for a broader and safe reopening of the borders.
“We will closely monitor this first stage of one-way quarantine-free travel as we want to expand eligibility for quarantine-free entry to New Zealand from these countries and Tokelau when we can be sure it is safe to do so.”
O’Connor says he wants to thank Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu for their co-operation as well as the horticulture and viticulture sectors for their collaboration.
Up to 14,400 RSE workers normally come through New Zealand each year, with approximately 10,500 being in the country at peak harvesting times pre-Covid. As at August 2021, approximately 7,000 RSE workers were in the country.
OPINION: Welcome to the second annual NZ Dairy Expo at Matamata – an event created to bring together the best of the New Zealand dairy industry in a focused, grassroots environment where dairy farmers and rural professionals can meet, talk, compare products, and make smart decisions for their farms.
Over 1,000 Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers in the Hawke’s Bay have now been immunised against measles.
It's a bloody tough year for sheep farmers, but the worst may be over, and the future looks optimistic.
One of the country’s two largest supermarket chains is reporting that for the first time since the disruption of Covid, they have largely full supply on almost all fruit and vegetables grown locally.
Covid-19 took global shipping rates to mind boggling highs, but over the subsequent 12-15 months they returned to more sustainable levels. Fast forward to July 2024 and rates have nearly doubled over three months.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.
