The New Zealand Labour Party is wary of calls for Covid-free nations to provide workers for the coming summer fruit harvest.
That is because it is sceptical of the Covid free status of these countries, most of which are in the Pacific.
As a result, it's unwilling to relax bans on summer harvest workers from those countries - despite being urged to by growers and the National Party .
Eric Frykberg reports.
Apple trees strip picked on June 31 marking the end of the 2018 season at JR's Orchard. Some of the Solomon Islands RSE workers will return in November to start thinning the trees in preparation for next year's crop. Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Koroi Hawkins
