Other contractors

Our customers want to know our great product comes from the best available practices. The fruit that we produce has a great reputation around the world, and if your contractors provide on-orchard services that do not require a CAV, there are a few things you can do to ensure everyone continues to meet the GLOBALG.A.P. requirements needed to supply to Zespri.

Contractor services that fall outside the scope of the Zespri GLOBALG.A.P. Contractor Programme could include:

• Grafting
• Girdling
• Supply of beehives
• Pollen application
• Mowing and mulching
• Shelter maintenance
  
• Repair and maintenance of orchard structures
• Pest monitoring
  
• Crop estimation
• Maturity clearance
• Mapping
• Irrigation
• Infrastructure development.

It is important to make sure you have an orchard services agreement in place with the contractor you have chosen to carry out the work on your orchard. An orchard services agreement is a safeguard to ensure both parties understand what is required of them and agree on their respective responsibilities. This will help you cover your requirements under Zespri GAP and GRASP with minimal documentation.

To help you, New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) has developed an orchard services agreement template that should be tailored to fit your business needs. It is recommended both parties seek independent legal advice before signing any agreement to ensure the wording fits the circumstances of both parties.

The agreement should cover orchard policies and procedures while on site, a health and safety plan and a biosecurity plan, as detailed below.

Any non-CAV contractor will need to demonstrate they have a health and safety plan in place, so we all know that anyone who works on your orchard is being well looked after. This will be covered in your orchard services agreement. 

At a minimum, the plan should include:

• A health and safety policy
• A food safety policy
• Identification of business hazards and work environment hazard controls
• Accident reporting procedures.

You’ll also need to provide an orchard sign-in system (electronic or non-electronic) for all workers to use. This way, you will know who is on your orchard at any given time. You could use the Orchard Health, Safety & Food Safety Acknowledgement Form resource for this.

All kiwifruit orchard contractors are a potential biosecurity hazard to your business. It’s the nature of their job; they’re constantly moving equipment, tools and machinery from orchard to orchard. In order to minimise that risk, everyone who provides on-orchard services must have a biosecurity plan in place.

As an industry, we have to make smart decisions to protect our crops. A biosecurity plan not only minimises the risk to your orchard, it also educates the workforce, teaches them good hygiene practices and builds awareness of hazards to look out for, so we keep our crop safe.

Your part is to make sure any contractor that does not hold a CAV, and comes onto your orchard, provides evidence they’ve completed a non-CAV contractor biosecurity plan. Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) has created a biosecurity plan template that your contractor can use.