Have you ever think about the sources of the food you eat every day? Where do they come from? How are they planted? Why are they nutritious? Have you ever enjoy the beautiful gardens in the city? These are some things related to horticulture. New Zealand is one of the greatest countries in horticulture, yet horticulturists is in shortage for a long time.
Why does New Zealand need horticulturists?
According to the latest edition of Fresh Facts, published annually by Plant & Food Research and Horticulture New Zealand, the total New Zealand horticulture industry was valued at $9.5 billion in 2019. Kiwifruit is New Zealand’s largest single horticultural export, earning more than $2.3 billion annually. Apples and wine also contribute a lot to the hort export trade. Except for the aggravate value of horticulture exports, it is also essential to New Zealand for the job opportunities it brings to the New Zealanders.
It is precise because horticulture takes such an indispensable role for New Zealand, the demands on workers engaged in horticulture are also increasing. Current horticulture workers are not sufficient for this huge industry. Furthermore, science and technology are changing with each passing day. Now big data and artificial intelligence have become trends in all walks of the industry. Horticulturists must keep up with the development of science, master the latest knowledge and technology, and effectively apply these to practical work, thereby improving efficiency and reducing costs.
What is horticulture
Horticulture is an integral part of agriculture and refers to the cultivation and breeding techniques of fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental trees. Horticultural crops include three major economic crop groups: fruit trees, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Horticulture is an abasic research discipline based on agricultural biology and studies the growth and development and genetic law of horticultural crops. It also studies the origin and classification of horticultural crops, germplasm resources, genetic breeding, and cultivation, which makes it a comprehensive discipline of applied technology and principles such as pest control, post-harvest treatment, storage, and processing.
Benefits of horticulture careers in New Zealand
- Immigration. In order to attract more talented people to engage in this career, the New Zealand government has included horticulture on the Immediate Skill Shortage List, which is replaced by the new Regional Skill Shortage List (RSSL)in 2019. In this revised list, all 16 regions in New Zealand have called demands for the market gardeners. If you are offered a job on the RSSL and meet the list requirements you may be granted an Essential Skills work visa. This means that you are permitted to work in New Zealand temporarily. You won’t necessarily be able to apply for residence.
- Multiple choice. As mentioned above, horticulture is a comprehensive discipline covering a great range of knowledge from different fields, which makes it possible to provide various job opportunities. Here are some choices for you.
- Fruit/vegetable/plantation and spice crop
- Vegetable hybrid seed production.
- Cut flower production and floriculture units.
- Nursery rising.
- Tissue culture laboratories.
- Marketing of horticultural products and produce.
- Processing of horticultural produce.
- Government development departments.
- Ancillary services (fertilizers etc…)
- Research and educational base institutions.
- Good salary. Horticulturists can also enjoy higher salaries. It is estimated that an entry-level horticulturist (1-3 years of experience) earns an average salary of $59,934 per year. On the other end, a senior-level horticulturist (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of $103,268.
