New Zealand kiwifruit grower Seeka has been forced to take drastic measures as the impact of the Psa outbreak grows on the country's kiwifruit industry, with the news that it is actively seeking redundancy applications among its 250-strong full-time workforce.
Reports in the country have quoted Seeka CEO Michael Franks as confirming the move, which is being made in anticipation of a fall in overall volumes next season, with some 261ha of the company's gold orchards and 291ha of green orchards infected with Psa-V – the most virulent form of the disease.
Seeka, which also employs some 3,000 workers during harvesting, has invited full-time staff to apply for redundancy by Thursday evening (29 September).
Franks said that the NZ$1.5bn kiwifruit export sector was set for '25 years of change in just 12 months', stuff.co.nz reported, explaining that the spread of the disease had been much more severe and much quicker than the industry had anticipated.
And one of the country's most famous names, Zespri, could also be forced to make staff cuts should the anticipated reduction in crop yields as a result of Psa come to fruition.
Reacting to the Seeka news, the group's Simon Limmer confirmed that Zespri may also have to look at redundancy possibilities, telling Radio New Zealand that such changes would impact staff both domestically and overseas.
Psa-V has now been confirmed in 295 orchards in the country, representing 9 per cent of all kiwifruit orchards in the country, stuff.co.nz noted.
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