January 19, 2021


Dairy farms in New Zealand affected by labour shortage

 


New Zealand's dairy sector has been hit by a labour shortage by as many as 6,000 workers because of the country's tight labour market and its closed border, Bloomberg reported.

 

Tim Mackle, chief executive of DairyNZ, said the government has permitted an exemption of 200 foreign dairy workers a day to enter the country, but it is insufficient.

 

DairyNZ, which advocates for local farmers, has called for a further 1,500 international workers to be allowed to enter the country in 2022.

 

New Zealand's dairy sector makes up 30% of the country's exports. 50,000 people work in this sector, a large majority are foreign workers. New Zealand's border closure has pushed the jobless rate to a 14-year low of 3.4%.

 

Mackle said insufficient workers at dairy farms will put animal welfare at risk, affects the industry's ability to make environmental progress, and forces existing staff to work longer hours.

 

DairyNZ is in discussion with the government about foreign worker exemptions in the country's managed isolation system, including an option for rural self-isolation such as on-farm isolation.

 

-      Bloomberg

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