It’s time for kiwi birds to inhabit New Zealand! If you are looking for areas with low population and active camping sites, why don’t you consider the seasons of Kiwi fruit picking? Are you looking for a seasonal job that gathers both freshness and finances? Here is an article about kiwi picking jobs. 

Kiwifruit Picking Season in New Zealand

New Zealand has rich natural resources, animal life, and agricultural territories. Providing all these three components all in one reflects the prosperity and the comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand.

Kiwifruit is an exotic fruit rich in vitamins, a natural antioxidant, rejuvenating the skin and the body cells. There are two basic types of kiwifruit used for production: hardy and golden. The fruit is a beautiful green with black seeds inside, covered by fuzzy brown skin. This tropical fruit has various ratings and prices across the world. It is expensive in North African countries, Russia and Norway. Although New Zealand is not the top kiwifruit producer globally, it thrived at opening a worldwide market for external businesses. Concerning the production rate in New Zealand, it all depends on the season and the plantation quality. A mature kiwi plant may yield more than 50 pounds after 8 to 12 years of plantation. It’s a fruit that requires a lot of patience and consistency. Why Are Kiwi Fruit Expensive ? 4 Reasons Why

Instead of listing Kiwi benefits or its various recipes, you should wonder about the process of how New Zealanders bring this fruit to markets? Kiwi fruit picking is an attractive investment for workers, as it doesn’t require any qualification, experience, and a very flexible schedule. Kiwifruit picking season has an extended harvest period, starting from the early spring ending in fall days. Since we are still in the season of kiwifruit picking, Fratres will introduce you to kiwi picking jobs, duration, best harvest places, and salaries.

Kiwi Picking Jobs in New Zealand:

Every season, many buses are directed towards kiwi plantation sites to pick the harvest. People, who are not very familiar with the picking requirements, usually research the best kiwi destinations and where the work will be available for the upcoming six months. Kiwi picking jobs are available at Katikati. Why this place? Many kiwi growers are based in Katikati, offering foreigners, locals, and even accommodation. Katikati is also exporting kiwi to a chain of external markets, making the picking cost more generous than the rest of the kiwi territories. Since it’s kiwi season, it’s time to prepare for the harvest and marketing strategies.

Steps to Harvest Kiwifruits Successfully in New Zealand:

Do you think anyone can pick the kiwis? This natural fortune requires some profiles to handle the harvest better and make it ready for the market. 

Although there is no specific age requirement, qualification, or experience to get fruit picking jobs, there will be a careful selection of workers when it comes to kiwis. Kiwi owners usually look for the following workers:

-People who can distinguish between ripen fruit and non-ripen fruit: Knowing when to pick kiwi can be a little tricky. The fruit should be taken when it’s a bit hard as it becomes soft through time.

-People who can use a refractometer or any harvest tool: Commercial kiwi marketers use a refractometer tool, which measures the amount of sugar in the fruit to determine when the kiwi fruit should be harvested. This tool is a bit expensive, costing about $ 100. But many locals have an alternative old-fashioned technique to determine which kiwis to pick. The alternative way is to chop the fruit to look at the seeds inside. If the seeds are black, it means they are ready to harvest the kiwi fruit. 

-People who know how to store kiwis: harvesting is not simply filling the boxes. Adding to distinguishing which kiwis to pick, workers should know how to store them. They should keep the fruit away from temperature, humidity, and pressure. Ripe kiwis do not store well, as they get very juicy from inside. This brings insects, which even destroy the fruit fur and make it unsuitable for selling in markets. Kiwi storage requires refrigerators with dry bags to avoid ripping fast. Kiwis marketers store kiwis for an extended period of two months. While it is still firm, they pick the fruit and store it immediately in the refrigerator in ventilated plastic bags. Then, they take it out of the refrigerator and place it in a plastic bag with an apple or a banana at room temperature to speed up ripening. Once the fruit gets a little soft, it will be exposed to the marketplace for selling.     

When harvesting kiwis, workers should handle the fruit with care. Any bruises will damage fruits, make them contaminated with external dust, or have a limited life cycle. 

Beginners with no practical experience in kiwis can get a demo session to harvest the fruit. Workers usually cut off the stem at the base of the fruit. When harvesting kiwis, workers should remove the largest fruit and leave the smaller ones for later harvesting when they become ready to pick. Workers should follow the policies of harvesting and protecting wildlife. They should not kill the kiwi birds or use some pesticide to eliminate insects in a toxic way, as kiwi fruits are not washable fruits. There are various environmental and eco-friendly ways to harvest kiwis and improve the quality of service. Looking for young age careers? check; Careers in NZ Police

How Much Do Workers Get for Picking Kiwis?

In New Zealand, fruit-picking services depend on the type of fruit; green kiwi and golden kiwi. Workers who harvest green fruits get paid by bin, while those harvesting golden fruits get paid per hour. The hourly wage for picking kiwis varies between 18 to 25$, depending on experience and knowledge of fruit. Live-in workers, who have temporary accommodation at kiwis picking sites, get 22$ per hour.