More than 200 seasonal workers from Vanuatu, Fiji and Solomon Islands have arrived in New Zealand to work on apple orchards under the Recognised Season Employer scheme.
The owner of apple producers Bostock New Zealand, John Bostock, says the workers will be preparing for the harvest which begins in late February.
Mr Bostock says there is a 70 to 80 percent worker return rate, which he puts down to the good wages they can earn.
He says many workers take home up to 6,000 US dollars in a season, which is spent on things like schooling, building improvements and recovery after events like Cyclone Pam.
"They love it. Every year they come back enthusiastic and ready to work. It's a wonderful scheme because it allows them to earn money and take it back home to their villages and their communities with some real savings, which is very useful for them."
The owner of apple producers Bostock New Zealand, John Bostock.
