Details of Seasonal Orchard Positions
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Our cherry export season begins in early December and goes through until late January / early February, weather permitting.
The role:
Pickers use a 2.7 metre ladder to harvest the cherries so you are climbing up and down the ladder throughout the day. You are provided with a picking harness which holds your bucket hands-free, whilst you pick.
No experience is required as we will teach you efficient picking techniques and the best way to pick cherries to prevent damage to the fruit.
Payment & Hours:
Payment is performance-based. Rates can vary with variety, growing system, rain damage and the type of picking required (for example, bunch picking, colour picking or singulation). Motivated pickers can earn well in excess of the minimum wage.
We pay an End of Season Bonus to eligible cherry pickers who work until the end of our cherry export season.
Work generally starts at 6.00am and daily hours are generally 7-9 hours although work can be interrupted by weather and crop maturity.
We guarantee a minimum of 32 hours of work per week.
Key Requirements:
You need to be self-motivated and have a good attitude. Your fitness level will enable you to climb up & down a 2.7m ladder and carry a ladder between blocks. You also need to be comfortable working outdoors in both cool and hot conditions.
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Our team of assistants help the Suncrest Orchard team to manage the harvesting and transportation of fruit to the packhouse.
The earliest positions start in early / mid-November with the final team members starting in late December / early January. Work goes through until the completion of the cherry export season which is generally late January / early February.
The Role:
Duties can include setting up blocks before a harvest crew enters, assigning trees, weighing buckets, field quality checks, checking trees, loading trailers, clearing blocks after harvest crews have been through, assisting with irrigation and transporting fruit to and from the packhouse.
Payment & Hours:
Payment is by hourly rate and we pay an End of Season Bonus if you work until the end of the export cherry harvest season.
Work generally starts at 6.00am and daily hours are generally 7 - 9.5 hours although wet weather and crop maturity can interrupt work.
We guarantee a minimum of 32 hours of work per week.
Key Requirements:
You need a good level of fitness, good communication skills, attention to detail and the ability to work as part of a team.
Experience with quad bikes / 4WD motorbikes is an advantage, as is experience with backing trailers and staff supervision.
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We employ a small team for bird control with the first team members starting in early / mid-November with the final team members joining in early December.
The Role:
Our bird control team are tasked with limiting crop damage from birds. We use a variety of methods including drones, gas guns, trapping, shooting and driving around making noise!
Payment & Hours:
The bird control team operate on a weekly roster.
Once the full roster is operating from early December, there are 2 shifts, and you alternate between shifts.
Payment is by hourly rate and if you work until the end of our cherry export harvest season, you will be paid an End of Season Bonus.
We guarantee a minimum of 42 hours per week.
Key Requirements:
The ability to work as part of a team is a key requirement as is holding a current NZ firearms licence. Experience with quad bikes / 4 WD motorbikes is preferable
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These roles begin in early / mid-October and go through until late November/ early December.
The Role:
The role involves the removal of small fruitlets from the trees to enable the remaining fruit to grow to the desired size. This job is done by hand and / or scissors.
No experience is required as full training is provided.
Payment & Hours:
Work is generally Monday - Friday unless interrupted by wet weather.
Payment is by hourly rate. If you work until the end of the thinning season, you are eligible for an End of Season Bonus.
We guarantee a minimum of 32 hours of work per week.
Key Requirements:
You need to be physically fit and able to carry and climb up a 2.7m ladder. You need to be motivated and have a good attitude and you must be capable of working outdoors in both cool and hot conditions.
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We pick our Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Peacherines, Apples and Pears from February through until April.
The Role:
Pickers use a 2.7m ladder and a 10kg picking bag during harvesting. Duties can also include summer pruning, packing and other general orchard duties.
No experience is required as we will provide full training.
Payment & Hours:
Payment is a mixture of performance-based and hourly rate.
Work generally starts at 7.00am - 8.00am and daily hours are generally 7-9 hours although wet weather can interrupt work.
We generally work Monday - Friday.
We guarantee a minimum of 32 hours per week.
Key Requirements:
You need a good level of fitness, self-motivation and a good attitude. You must be able to carry a 2.7m ladder between blocks and climb up it. You also need to be comfortable working outdoors in both cool and hot conditions.
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Cherry harvesting for export starts in early/mid-December and continues through until late January/early February, weather permitting. This is our peak season.
At other times of the year we require 10 or fewer seasonal staff.
Work can be affected by the weather and other factors.
If it is raining, fruit cannot be harvested.
If it rains for a couple of days in a row during the cherry harvest, then the fruit may split and become unviable for harvesting. This doesn't happen often, but it can occur.
Work can also be interrupted by decreased demand for the orchard's produce, condition or maturity of the fruit, availability or packhouse space, mechanical breakdown, and availability of transport.