A foreign solution: The employment of short term migrant dairy workers on New Zealand dairy farms

Trafford, Suzanne; Tipples, Rupert S.

Abstract

A number of micro and macro-environmental factors have resulted in New Zealand dairy farmers facing serious farm staffing and skills shortages (Searle, 2003; Nolan, 2003; Callister &Tipples, 2010; Tipples, Trafford & Callister, 2010). This review will examine why the domestic labour force cannot meet farmers‟ needs, and the scope and nature of the increasing employment of temporary migrant visa holders to meet the shortfall. Issues surrounding their employment will also be canvassed.

Keywords

dairy farmers; employment; farm staffing; migrant workers

Fields of Research

200208 Migrant Cultural Studies; 140211 Labour Economics; 0702 Animal Production

Date

2012-05

Type

Report (Commissioned Report)