New Zealand's international reputation could be affected by labour shortages in the fruit industry, experts say.
Pipfruit New Zealand chairman and Lower Moutere orchardist Ian Palmer said if harvests are delayed the quality of exports could drop and growers incomes could be affected.
Growers are already facing pressure with the high New Zealand dollar and they say that the Government's new Visa scheme -- while it looks good long-term -- is causing problems now.
Mr Palmer said the Transitioning to Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (TSRE) makes it hard for the harvest trail to work, which then reduces the available labour force.
"People have to stay four months. Then they have to leave and they can't work anywhere else."
He said this meant that people could not follow the harvest trail, like they could in Australia. If workers apply for a Variation of Conditions (VOC) visa they could work an extra six weeks in areas with a critical labour shortage.
"Each of the main horticultural regions will have a [labour] shortage as they come into harvest. There always is."
"We are always optimistic we will harvest the best fruit but we can't control the exchange rate and that will have the biggest impact over the coming season."
Horticulture New Zealand national seasonal labour manager Jerf van Beek said the TSRE had made it really difficult, because foreigners could only work for one employer during their New Zealand visit.
"In the past once those people had a seasonal work permit they could travel around the country," he said.
The Government has been asked to review the policy to ease the labour shortage burden.
"We are still struggling in Central Otago. For those growers in Central Otago there is no big population close by so they need people to travel in to the area," he said.
Central Otago needs workers for vineyards and packing sheds, while Nelson is expected to announce a critical labour shortage this week.
Work and Income have declared a seasonal labour shortage in Hawke's Bay in mid-January. This allows foreign visitors on tourist visas to apply for permits to work in the apple industry.
"If we can't get the TRSE and the VOC changed then we are looking at a far worse labour shortage in Nelson and the Hawkes Bay than we are currently facing in Central Otago," Mr van Beek said.
Basil Goodman is the chairman of Seasonal Solutions, a recruitment agency for the Horticulture and Viticulture industry in Central Otago.
He said the new visa scheme had made it quite "quite daunting", difficult and expensive for foreign tourists to change their visitor visa in to a work permit.
"We are not seeing the backpacker people coming into Central Otago to find work," he said.
He hoped a Government review would bring some changes to the policy.
John Webb from Stonehurst Orchard in Cromwell said the Government has created the labour shortage by making changes to visa policy.
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