Seasonal workers sit at the heart of New Zealand horticulture

At HortNZ, we see that reality every season, as growers work to get fruit and vegetables from orchard and paddock to market, and Pacific workers support their own families and communities at the same time.

That is why the Government's announcement of positive and practical reforms to the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme is so welcome.

HortNZ has been clear about what is needed. RSE settings must be fair, future-focused and sustainable for employers, workers and our Pacific partners. These modernisation plans are a strong step in that direction.

They strike the right balance, strengthening protection and clarity for workers while giving growers greater certainty to plan, invest and harvest crops.

As the RSE scheme approaches its 20th anniversary next year, it is worth reflecting on what it has made possible - a reliable seasonal workforce for growers, and life-changing income, skills and opportunities for Pacific workers and their communities.

Horticulture is a New Zealand success story, but growers need confidence in their workforce to make long-term decisions.

With export revenue forecast to reach more than $9.7 billion in 2026/27, practical settings are essential if the sector is to keep lifting productivity and value.

The value of RSE work is also felt across the Pacific, where strong labour mobility partnerships are built on trust, respect and reciprocity.

The reforms recognise that this is a mutually beneficial relationship, and that productivity and worker wellbeing must go hand in hand.

For growers, the policy changes will help maintain access to the people needed to pick, pack and process high-value produce. For workers and Pacific partners, they place wellbeing at the centre of the scheme’s future.

New Zealand workers must remain the first priority for employers. The RSE scheme should continue to complement that workforce by filling genuine seasonal labour gaps when enough local workers are not available.

The practical improvements give growers and workers clearer expectations, strengthen protections and reduce unnecessary compliance for trusted employers.

A graduated accreditation model and a more transparent cap process will help growers plan, invest and grow.

Standardised cost-recovery agreements, clearer rules on allowable costs and stronger complaints processes will make the system easier for workers to navigate.

RSE workers’ main responsibilities will continue to be planting, picking, packing and harvesting, while allowing them to carry out related tasks, including using machinery, where that makes practical sense.

The reforms also build on the sector’s Whānau Moana Nui - “Family of the Pacific” approach. That work brings growers, government and Pacific partners together to strengthen pastoral care, accommodation and employment practices, and to support a world-class standard of Pacific labour mobility.

A dependable seasonal workforce is central to horticulture's continued growth and value.

If we are serious about the future of the industry and the New Zealand economy, we need practical, effective settings in place.

These RSE forums show how government, industry and the Pacific can work together on practical solutions that focus on risk, cut red tape and let growers get on with growing.

The opportunity now is to show what world-class, values-led labour mobility can look like.

The RSE scheme has supported growers, workers and Pacific communities for almost two decades. These reforms help keep it fit for the future.

With these changes, the scheme will be more transparent, resilient and better equipped to support horticulture, sending-country partnerships and the people who make the harvest possible.

It will support the sector’s ambition to double the farmgate value of horticulture production by 2035 and contribute to the national goal of doubling food and fibre export value.

Most importantly, it gives growers the cofidence to expand production, lift productivity and drive greater value while keeping people in partnerships at the centre.