Backpackers planning to seek work as apple-pickers in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, have the option of first buying
worldwide travel insurance.
The Dominion Post reports that local orchards are worried there will not be enough workers to help pick what has become a bumper crop of apples after a warm summer.
There is a technique to picking the fruit to ensure it is not damaged, but with around 12,000 pickers needed within the next few weeks, backpackers seeking work could find they are trained on-site.
Andrew Annakin, a spokesman for the labour department, told the paper: "The actual number of workers recruited in any particular season will depend on how much work there is to do and how many New Zealanders are available to do it."
More people are available now that the global downturn has resulted in an increase in local job losses, but times remain uncertain.
Many backpackers seek seasonal work so as to earn more money for their ongoing trip.
Online travel insurance is always an option.
Downunder - the market leaders in online
backpacker travel insurance.