The kiwifruit industry is concerned Covid-19 will restrict availability of New Zealand workers.  

The industry needs 24-thousand people to pick and pack the crop.  

It's expecting the opening of the border will come too late to replace the six and a half thousand backpackers, who'd normally be here. 

Kiwifruit Growers CEO Colin Bond told Heather du Plessis Allan there was a record harvest last year despite Covid-19 – but a few things have changed this year.  

Bond says it's likely more people will be off sick this year. 

“One is that there is more crop to pick, secondly there are less backpackers in the country, that number has been slowly dwindling, and unemployment rate is lower.” 

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