People & Community
We care deeply about the community we live and work in and believe we have a responsibility to support those who support us. This is not just our growers and team, but our wider community.
Growing Local Money
Before the establishment of Golden Bay Fruit, only 50% of the gross selling price came back from the markets to growers. We changed that in year one. Our growers now receive 70-75%, empowering them to keep doing what they do best – growing great fruit.
Coupled with the wage spending of our staff of over 500, Golden Bay Fruit is proud to be a major financial contributor to our local economy.
Growing our worker family
The RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) international aid programme is one of the key pillars of Golden Bay Fruit. Now in its 13th year, we have been a partner in this scheme since its inception. Each year we employ around 400 staff from Samoa and Vanuatu. We are a family business and they fit naturally into our family model. During the season our RSE workers assist with thinning, picking and packing, all done with the level of care and attention required for premium fruit. In return we’re proud to help provide the resources and skills to help ensure a brighter future for them back home.
Giving Back
Community is everything. Although our fruit go all over the world, we are committed to being a positive part of our local community. That means giving back. Here are a few of the initiatives that we support:
Women’s Rugby
Golden Bay Fruit is a Gold sponsor of women’s rugby, including the Farrah Palmer Cup. The Cup is the highest-level domestic women’s rugby union competition in New Zealand and is named after former Black Ferns captain, Farah Palmer. This contest is held annually from late August to early November and is managed by the New Zealand Rugby Union, or NZRU.
Kai Fest
In February 2021 Birdhurst Orchards and Golden Bay Fruit were Gold sponsors of the Motueka Kai Fest. This popular festival celebrates and promotes our region as an excellent food growing region, thanks to outstanding water, soil, climate, and people.
We sold bags of our Stormy Fruit for just a Koha (donation) with all proceeds going to the Community House Motueka, supporting mental health. Some of our wonderful seasonal staff from Samoa and Vanuatu entertained the crowds with performances and cooked up delicious local Samoan kai (food).
Stormy Fruit, Gumboots and Mental Health
We believe in supporting local, supporting mental health awareness and supporting our young kiwis. Last year in New Zealand 137 young people died by suicide and it is estimated another 3,500 attempted to take their own lives. Late in 2021 Golden Bay Fruit donated $5 of every box of Stormy Fruit sold to Gumboot Friday, a charity which raises money for free counselling for New Zealand kids. This initiative resulted in a $5,000 donation.
Support for Covid response in Vietnam
We were immensely proud to support the response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam by participating in a great initiative coordinated by the New Zealand Embassy – Hanoi and NZTE in Vietnam. In July 2021 over 10 tons of fresh imported New Zealand apples – including a ton of Golden Bay Fruit’s Cherish variety and Sungold™ Kiwifruit were hand delivered to the SỐNG FOUNDATION. The fruit was given to eight hospitals and Government owned healthcare centres fighting the Covid-19 outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City.
Careers
Are you thinking about how you can grow your career? At Golden Bay Fruit, we’re always on the lookout for motivated people who share in our values. If you’ve got passion, enthusiasm, and you’re not afraid of a little hard work, then the opportunities are endless.
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