Country Life: Timorese lend hand in NZ orchards

This year, New Zealand marks 20 years of a programme that has changed lives while supporting the local horticultural industry.

What started out as a small scheme to bring in seasonal labourers from the Pacific to pick, pack and carry out tasks on orchards and vineyards now involves more than 20,000 workers from 10 different countries.

The newest country to join the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme this year is Timor-Leste. This small southeast Asian nation is about two hours by plane from Bali to the west and Darwin to the east. It has a population of just 1.4 million and is considered one of the poorest countries in the world.

The average wage sits between $260-430 a month and a recent union study found some workers earn as little as $26.

While the official unemployment rate is two or three percent, the real figure, including unemployment and underemployment, is closer to 30 percent, so when New Zealand announced it was opening the scheme to Timor-Leste, the response was overwhelming.

More than 20,000 people applied to join, knowing that in seven months of work, they could earn as much as NZ$40,000.

Immigration New Zealand Pacific national manager Loua Ward said the decision to include the young southeast Asian nation was to spread the load.

"Each Pacific country has different drivers. Some want to grow their numbers, like Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Kiribati, while others want to limit the people leaving, because of concerns about brain drain and keeping their local economies going."

Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.

The addition of Timor-Leste meant New Zealand was not putting undue pressure on our Pacific neighbours, she said.

While the February pilot programme offered only 10 positions to Timorese in Motueka, a second group of 20 workers arrived in Blenheim in May. A further 30 are expected in October and Ward expected the scheme to keep growing.

The workers have so far been men, but as more jobs come online, positions will become available for women.

Ward said the RSE scheme was a triple win - New Zealand employers got to fill roles, workers earned life-changing sums and the Timorese economy received a massive boost from overseas earnings.

In 2025, Timorese working abroad sent home about US$180 million.

President José Ramos-Horta, who first lobbied for labour mobility schemes more than 16 years ago, framed it simply - the workers return with money, new skills and a work ethic, and when they're treated well abroad, they come home as goodwill ambassadors.

Adjusting to life and work In a new country

Fairfield Orchard in Motueka is the first employer to take on the Timorese. The orchard is predominantly a pip-fruit grower, with some kiwifruit also. They have their own post-harvest facility, so not only do they grow, they also pack, store and sell direct to market.

Orchard director Cherie Drummond said they decided to trial the Timorese because they believed the men would be well-suited to some of the more detailed work.

She said they were an absolute delight to have around and eager to work, with none of the 10 taking a day off since they arrived.

"They listen, they're always happy to be at work and quality is their first goal."

She said they worked and got along well with the other Tongan and Tuvaluan workers on site.

Drummond said bringing in overseas labour did not mean New Zealanders missed out.

"We have a New Zealand-first policy. We list positions and we just don't have the people applying for them."

Drummond said the RSE scheme gave the company a guarantee of labour that meant the orchard had been able to grow.

"Two decades ago, Fairfield had just 12 permanent staff. Today, we employ 40. Something good is waiting."

Marcos Dias is the main spokesperson for the men in Motueka. He said they felt incredibly fortunate to have been selected and were making the most of their time in New Zealand.

"I think it's a beautiful place for me to come here and people are very kind, especially in this company. We are earning good money to send home to our families and also learning good skills to take home."

Dias said the biggest adjustment for the men had been the weather.

"In Timor-Leste, the weather is very different," he explained. "Here, it's just 8-11C, but eventually we adapt."

Dias and wife Graciana Herculano have four children of their own, but like many Timorese families, they look after many more. They have taken in an extra six children, who have either been orphaned or who are from underprivileged families, and with cousins and elderly parents, the total number living in their home is 17.

Herculano said the money Marcos sends home had already begun reshaping their future.

"We have been able to send our children to private schools, pay university fees, invest in Starlink, so I can work from home, and we have been able to fence a piece of land, so we can grow our own vegetables and bananas."

She said one of the biggest costs in Timor-Leste was food. Ultimately, the couple wanted to invest in land and agriculture in the far north of the island, where his family came from, and provide jobs and work for other Timorese.

Nearby, the family of Francilino Suarez told a similar story.

Even though he had only been away for four months, they had already been able to purchase a motorbike, which would have taken years to save for, and paid the full semester of fees for their eldest son's university studies. They also planned to build their own house in the family compound.

The youngest member of the seasonal worker group, 25-year-old Pedro, was already thinking about what he would do when he went home.

"I want to make a construction company... and share my knowledge with my friends and family."

Anna Thomas travelled to Timor-Leste with assistance from the Asia New Zealand Foundation