Orchards across Wānaka and Central Otago are already busy getting cherries and apricots off the trees and on the shelves. This means hundreds of seasonal workers have already been employed to help with the busy season.
Jackson Orchards, in Cromwell, has already started selling some of their cherry varieties last week.
Manager Tania Avis said they had finished hiring a while ago.
"Usually, we would employ about 70 people over the season ... We are full at the moment," she said.
Sharon Kirk, founder of Hortinvest Ltd, which has two orchards across Central Otago, said the harvest is growing at a rapid rate.
"We are harvesting three times what we did last year ... it’s like managing a big event,” she said.
She said most of the workers were from overseas with the majority from Europe and some from South-East Asia and South America.
They came either as backpackers or travellers looking to earn money while they explored popular destinations like Mt Cook and Fiordland.
"Who wouldn’t want to come work here,” Ms Kirk said.
Seasonal workers either found a place to rent or flat short term or they sometimes camped for the season.
Ms Kirk said having seasonal workers was a boost for the local economy as the money they earnt at the orchard was then spent locally on food, fuel and travel expenses.
She also noticed that many of the seasonal workers used this opportunity to strengthen their English and learn about the Kiwi culture.
"They get to know us, and we get to know them,” she said.
