Visa changes bring fresh woes
Rural Contractors NZ says members are frustrated at having to work through more layers to get visas approved for skilled seasonal machinery operators ahead of the imminent season start. Andrew Olsen comments.
Rural Contractors NZ chief executive Andrew Olsen says the industry’s growth is being marked by new sponsorship arrangements – such as with major agrichemical company Nufarm as well as the second year of awards for trainees.
“We’ve landed a new partnership with Nufarm which in part reflects the fact farmers are increasingly moving away from storing and applying agrichemicals and allowing rural contractors to take on those roles,” Olsen says.
“We both recognise that the increasing environmental and workplace demands with agrichemicals require suppliers and our members to work together and develop better training, advice and feedback.”
Olsen says that’s part of the reason the Rural Contractors NZ last year developed its Trainee of the Year awards, with the 2023 winner to be announced at the Invercargill conference.
“Our members are supporting people who want to come into the industry and learn how to drive the big machines and develop all the necessary skills to harvest, cultivate or spray.”
The conference at the Ascot Park will be opened by National’s Agriculture and Trade spokesperson Todd McClay at lunchtime on Tuesday June 20 before workshops on precision farming, crop protection and wellbeing.
There are further workshops on Wednesday and panel discussions on Thursday, including one on health & safety and another on the future challenges and opportunites for rural contractors in dealing with emissions, chemical and plastic.
