Dairy Industry Now Dependent On Filipino Farm Workers

NEW ZEALAND DAIRY INDUSTRY NOW DEPENDENT ON FILIPINO FARM WORKERS.

Over the last few years the demand for experienced and reliable dairy farm workers has grown rapidly, as the industry continues to expand. To meet the labour shortfall the industry has become depended on migrant workers, mainly from the Philippines. Filipino dairy farm workers have been working on dairy farms outside the Philippines for several years now, including large dairy farms in the Middle East, Japan, Ireland and the UK. Farmers from around the country are unable to find suitable dairy farm workers within New Zealand.

Immigration Placements Ltd (IPS), one of New Zealand’s oldest companies specialising in placing overseas dairy farm workers with New Zealand farmers, said the demand has been very strong for dairy farm workers from the Philippines following the recovery in milk prices last year. IPS opened a branch office in Manila, Philippines early 2008 where its own staff who screen and check each applicant individually before submitting them to potential employers. This ensures farmers only receive quality applicants. Most of the migrants are coming to NZ to stay permanently and become residents. They often bring their families to NZ once they have settled in – Immigration NZ policies are supportive by allowing partners and children to come to live.

Having our own office in Manila has been of considerable advantage to NZ employers. Farmers will be supplied a short list of qualified applicants and then have an opportunity to do a telephone of video interview with this applicants of their choice. Once the employer has selected the applicants that they require, documentation for work visas will be arranged. It normally takes a month for the visas to be approved from receiving a job offer from an employer.

The recruitment of skilled migrants from the Philippines is regulated by the Philippines Government through the Philippines Overseas Employment Agency (POEA). All recruitment must be processed through a licensed agency, and workers coming to New Zealand are required to obtain an Overseas Employment Certificate before leaving, which IPS arranges for them. Immigration Placement Services is accredited with the POEA to allow this to be arranged. The POEA oversees the activities of licensed agents and may cancel their licenses if not complying with the laws of the Philippines.

Immigration New Zealand requires all applicants to go through stringent medical tests before approving of work visas. Applicant’s references and qualifications are thoroughly checked by immigration before approval of visas, and if there are any inaccuracies the visas are denied. Immigration NZ will only approve work visas if applicants can provide at least two years proven work experience on commercial dairy farms. Most applicants have animal science or veterinary degrees.

Over the years IPS has supplied hundreds of dairy farm workers to farmers around NZ, from Northland to Southland. For most applicants farmers are required to obtain approval from Work & Income to show that there are no suitable applicants locally. If the applicant has proven supervisory experience in various aspects of dairy farming ranging from milking to pasture management, they may qualify under the Skilled Migrant Category which will avoid the need to having the approval from WINZ first.

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