Types of Seasonal Roles available in Central Otago
The orchards and vineyards offer a range of seasonal roles.
For the majority of roles no previous experience is needed as all training is provided on-the-job. There is a wide range of positions available for young, old, skilled and unskilled people. All you need to be is fit, enthusiastic and reliable!
You will need a good level of fitness for outdoor work, and work may sometimes be irregular due to adverse weather conditions. Seasonal roles are advertised on Work the Seasons.
Orchard Roles
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Fruit Thinner
Fruit thinning is where excess fruit is removed from the tree by hand to allow the remaining fruit to grow to an acceptable size. Poor quality fruit is also removed.
Workers are paid by the number of trees they thin per day or per week. Piece rates usually reflect how hard the work is. The more difficult the work, the higher the rate.
The busiest time for apple thinning is during December and January.
Summerfruit thinning work can be found in October and November.
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Picker
Fruit pickers take fruit off trees, meeting certain size, colour, ripeness and quality standards. Fruit is picked into buckets that are strapped to the shoulders of the workers. The buckets are then emptied into fruit bins or changed out and a quality controller or orchard supervisor evaluates the work.
Pickers must be fit and have good vision. The work may involve use of ladders or elevated work platforms.
Fruit picking is usually paid on a piece work basis (price per bin). Piece rates usually reflect how hard the work is. The more difficult the work, the higher the rate.
Piece rates vary, ranging from the equivalent of minimum wage up to $25 or even $30 per hour for a good picker depending on crop type, contract/bucket rate and employee work ethic.
The apple harvest usually starts mid-February and lasts until mid-May.
The summerfruit harvest (cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums) starts in in December. It usually finishes by early March.
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Pruner
Tree branches are pruned by use of secateurs, loppers or electronic pruners to the requirements of the grower. Methods and equipment required may vary between employers. Ladders and elevated work platforms may also be used.
This is a skilled job that requires on the job training if a worker lacks experience.
Workers are paid by the number of trees they prune per day or per week. Piece rates usually reflect how hard the work is. The more difficult the work, the higher the rate.
The apple tree pruning usually starts May and lasts until September.
The summerfruit tree pruning (cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums) starts in March and is usually finished by early September.
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Tractor Driver
Tractor drivers are responsible for bin placement and removal. They position empty bins at convenient positions for pickers and remove filled bins ready to be stacked onto trucks.
Drivers must be able to operate machinery safely and without damaging the harvested fruit.
Rate $25 - $30 per hour
Timing During harvest
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Forklift Operator
Forklift operators work in orchards or packhouses, loading bins of harvested fruit on and off trucks and placing them in shade houses or cool stores. Operators may also be responsible for labelling bins to ensure traceability of the fruit.
A forklift licence or OSH certificate is required.
Rate $25 - $30 per hour
Timing During harvest
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Harvest Quality Controller
Quality controllers work in the orchard and are responsible for the quality of the harvested crop. Random samples are taken from each bin and checked for quality, size, colour and maturity.
Quality controllers should be able to relate well to both workers and management.
Rate $20-$25 per hour
The apple harvest usually starts mid-early March and lasts until early May.
The summerfruit harvest (cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums) starts in in December. It usually finishes by early March.
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Packhouse Roles
These jobs are inside and may involve long periods of standing and shift work. Packhouse roles are required from December to June.
These roles are usually paid hourly. Pack house hourly rates vary between minimum wage $22.70 and up to $26 per hour (for skilled roles such as forklift drivers or quality control.
Grader
Graders sort fruit for physical defects, colour, pest damage and overall quality. A lot of the grading is done by machine but still requires supervision. Attention to detail is required for this role.
Packer
Tray fillers / packers work in the packhouse, watching for defects in the fruit and making sure the packed product is presented well. Attention to detail is required for this role.
Stacker
Stackers work in the packhouse stacking packed boxes of fruit. This work involves plenty of heavy lifting so stackers must be strong and fit.
Forklift Operator
Forklift operators work in orchards or packhouses, loading bins of harvested fruit on and off trucks and placing them in shade houses or cool stores. Operators may also be responsible for labelling bins to ensure traceability of the fruit.
A forklift licence or OSH certificate is required.