Central Otago’s fruit and wine productivity threatened

An extra 600 beds are needed to keep up with predicted labour demand within the horticulture and viticulture industries in Central Otago, a new labour market report says. The Central Otago Labour Market Survey was released on Monday and highlights labour issues facing the horticulture and viticulture industries in the region. Accommodation provision was one of the biggest issues to resolve, with the report predicting labour demand to grow with an additional 600 beds required by 2018/19. The report also highlights a lack of suitably trained staff.