Staffing crisis for contractors

PHOTO: SUPPLIED
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Agricultural contracting 
businesses are struggling to find staff for the upcoming harvest season, hampered by an inability to source their usualworkforce from overseas. George Clark reports.

A South Canterbury-based agricultural business has expressed concern for its long-term future because of its inability to employ staff for the upcoming harvest season.

Raincliff Agriculture, near Pleasant Point, has typically had the same workers, predominantly from the United Kingdom flying across for work each year since 2016. Many have partners and families who will be impacted by the lack of income.

The smaller-scale contracting business has gone from 15 workers to two, cutting back on clients and selling equipment to prepare for a lack of employable staff, managing director Brychan Morgan said.

"It has put a strain on things. We have cut back in general to try and be ready for it, but it will not just be a short term thing — it will be long term. No-one really knows what is going to be happening or how to deal with it. It is a very vulnerable industry at the moment."

The family-owned-and-operated business provides a wide range of services, from beet drilling, beet cleaning, cultivation and on-farm grain carting to mowing, raking and round baling, as well as a complete silage service.

Raincliff Agriculture managing director Brychan Morgan says his business is strained by the...
Raincliff Agriculture managing director Brychan Morgan says his business is strained by the difficulties in recuiting staff. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Mr Morgan said his mental health had been significantly impacted by the ongoing industry problem.

No employees had been found from advertising in the past month, with two New Zealanders and himself being the current staff of the business. Five workers living in the United Kingdom applied for a border exemption over a month ago and have not yet heard back.

He was confused as to why New Zealanders would not want to work, but understood it may not be a role for everyone.

"When you are driving multimillion-dollar machinery, you cannot just throw any Joe Bloggs in it. Most tractors are worth around $300,000 and whatever they have on the back will be expensive too. Now will be a very critical time for smaller operators, let alone the large-scale ones."

Members of his administrative team have had their hours cut back as the work dried up.

"Covid-19 has had a ripple effect which will last longer than the virus sticks around. I get that I cannot get the border open, so we need Kiwis to get stuck in."

Mr Morgan believed people with the right attitude would get work.

"A lot of contractors are willing to give people a shot, but they must have the right mindset and eagerness to work — something we are yet to see."

 

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