Harvest Work

Our guide to the huge variety of Harvesting Work on offer to gappers.

There is a huge variety of harvest work available around the world, and it's a great way to earn cash, put in a bit of hard physical work and meet some great people. From fruitpicking to sheep shearing and cattle herding, there's plenty you can do if you're prepared to get stuck in and work hard.

As a general guide you will need...

• To be relatively fit!
• Comfortable shoes which are safe for standing in fields all day
• A hat
• A water bottle
• Sun block
• Insect repellent
• You should also bring some cash to tide you over in case the weather puts back the harvest.

Australia

Australia has a huge farming industry and fruitpicking is a tried and tested form of backpacker graft. It can be hard work, and it won’t make you rich, but fruit picking is a good way to see other bits of the country and meet people. One of the reasons that the Australian government is so keen to set up working holiday programmes with other countries is that there is a chronic shortage of workers to do harvesting. Harvesting can involve a lot of different tasks, everything from fruitpicking to driving the tractors or feeding the workers. You name it – Australia grows it. Apricots, asparagus, melons, bananas - you could pick them all.

Canada

Working in Canada isn’t just about cities and snow. One of Canada’s largest industries is farming. Agriculture is a vital part of the economies of British Columbia, Ontario and Québec. The Okanagan Valley and Kootenay areas in British Columbia have huge fruit harvests in July to October. Get your timing right and you could easily find work picking apricots, apples, cherries, grapes and peaches. Jobs involve different aspects of harvesting, whether it’s picking or pruning.

Wages for harvest workers vary enormously, depending on how good the picker is, and what kind of fruit they are picking. You won’t get rich, but expect to earn between $50 and $185 dollars per day. Fruitpicking is nearly always paid as piece-work, the more you pick, the more you earn. However some fruits like cherries or grapes need careful handling, and you won’t get paid for fruit that has been picked carelessly. For more information on fruitpicking in British Columbia see...

www.agri-labourpool.com

www.island.net/~awpb

Note:
If you have a specialist interest or skill then research Canadian companies who employ people in your field. The Horse People for example offer paid work and accommodation at a riding center in Ontario for eight weeks during the summer. Unlike bigger organizations based outside of Canada however, specialist employers like The Horse People won’t organize your work permit for you.

Call Toll Free On - 1877 673 5905.

New Zealand

New Zealand’s largest industry is agriculture, and there is great demand for seasonal workers. If you are skilled at animal handling, sheep shearing or cattle herding for example, you can earn good money. Similarly if you have experience driving tractors or using farm machinery, your skills will be in demand. You could even find work cooking for farm labourers at busy times of the year. There is a lot of general farm work available in the spring, from September to November.

Most backpackers however are happy to pick fruit or hops. There is work available all year long to a greater or lesser extent, but January to March is when a lot of the harvesting takes place for fruit. A lot of plant thinning work goes on in November. You won’t earn big bucks – a typical fruitpicker is paid on a "contract rate" by the kilo, and a fast, experienced picker will earn about $15 per hour. If you find work in a packing shed you will be earning about $8 per hour. November to March is the high season for hop-picking, while vineyard work takes place in August.

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