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Crop Worker

Kaimahi Huangakai

Crop workers assist with the growing and harvesting of fruit, vegetables and other produce on farms, market gardens, orchards and vineyards.

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Secondary education

There are no specific secondary education requirements to become a crop worker. However, agricultural and horticultural science is useful.

Year 11-12 learners can find out more about the horticulture industry and earn unit standards towards a New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture or Horticulture (Level 1 or 2) with the Trades Academy.

Year 12-13 learners can find out more about the horticulture industry and earn NCEA unit standards through the Primary ITO Gateway programme.

Study fields

Study levels

  • Up to NCEA Level 3

Useful experience

Useful experience for crop workers includes:

  • gardening or farm work
  • supermarket work
  • any work involving physical labour
  • sports or other outdoor activities.

What you will do

Crop workers may do some or all of the following:

  • prepare soil for planting
  • plant crops such as grains, fruit, mushrooms, nuts or vegetables
  • maintain crops, which may involve weeding, spraying, pruning, thinning, fertilising and watering
  • check crops for quality
  • control pests and diseases
  • pick, sort and pack crops
  • operate vehicles and machinery such as forklifts, hydraladas, tractors and motorbikes
  • assist with general maintenance of buildings, fences and other structures.

Skills and knowledge

Crop workers need to have knowledge of:

  • growing and harvesting crops
  • crop diseases, weeds and pests and how to control them
  • local climate and weather conditions
  • food safety, market certification and quality requirements
  • applying agricultural fertilisers and chemicals
  • general maintenance and basic mechanics
  • assessing fruit or vegetables for ripeness, damage or size.
Pay

Crop workers usually earn

$23-$24

per hour

Crop workers who supervise others usually earn

$23-$25

per hour

Job opportunities
Good
Chances of getting a job as a crop worker are good due to a shortage of workers.

Industry

Agriculture and Horticulture

Crop workers assist with the growing and harvesting of fruit, vegetables and other produce on farms, market gardens, orchards and vineyards.

Similar jobs in this industry

Entry requirements

There are no specific requirements to become a crop worker. However, horticultural knowledge or experience is useful.

Some employers support crop workers to gain horticulture qualifications on the job.

Primary ITO offers nursery, fruit and vegetable production courses and apprenticeships.

Chances of getting a job

High demand for crop workers

Demand for crop workers is strong and will continue to grow due to:

  • a shortage of workers caused by low unemployment rates
  • an increase in the amount of fruit and vegetables grown
  • the horticulture industry is expected to grow and increase its export revenue to over $5 billion in 2023.

It is predicted that 32,000 seasonal crop workers will be needed for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but only up to 28,000 workers will be available.  

Job chances for crop workers best in summer and autumn

Demand for crop workers is higher during the peak growing seasons of summer and autumn. However, crop workers are needed all year round.

Your best chance of getting work is to contact employers directly. 

The best regions to find work in are Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty, Tasman (Nelson and Motueka) and Marlborough (Blenheim).

Types of employers varied

Crop workers may work for:

  • orchardists and grape (wine) growers
  • fruit, mushroom, nut and vegetable growers
  • grain farmers
  • flower growers.

Find out more about training

Horticulture New Zealand
(04) 472 3795 - info@hortnz.co.nz - www.hortnz.co.nz
Primary ITO
0800 208 020 - info@primaryito.ac.nz - www.primaryito.ac.nz

Progression and specialisations

Crop workers may move into team leader, shift supervisor or manager roles.

Crop workers may specialise in a number of roles, including:

Crop Monitor
Crop monitors check plants and trees for any pests and diseases and follow up on treatments.
Harvest Quality Controller
Harvest quality controllers take samples of fruit before and just after they are harvested to check their size, colour and quality.
Hydralada Operator
Hydralada operators use and maintain machinery to pick fruit off the tops of trees. 
Pruner
Pruners cut the branches of trees to improve a tree's growth and health.
Thinner
Thinners remove fruit from a tree that is of poor quality or not a standard size to improve the growth of other fruit.
Vineyard Worker
Vineyard workers help grow and pick grapes for wine production.

Working conditions

Crop workers:

  • may start work early in the mornings or in the evening
  • may work long or irregular hours during harvesting
  • work on farms, orchards and vineyards, or in hothouses
  • work outside in most weather conditions
  • may have to travel to follow seasonal work.

Physical Requirements

Crop workers need to be reasonably fit, with strong arms and backs to do long periods of physical work. They should not have any allergies to plants, pollen, chemicals or fertilisers.

Useful personal qualities

Crop workers need to be:

  • hard-working
  • reliable
  • quality focused with good attention to detail
  • efficient and practical
  • able to work as part of a team
  • able to follow instructions.

Industry

Agriculture and Horticulture

Crop workers assist with the growing and harvesting of fruit, vegetables and other produce on farms, market gardens, orchards and vineyards.

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