Audit season has a funny way of arriving faster than expected.

One minute you are focused on pruning, spraying, harvesting, staff, weather, contractors, and keeping the orchard moving.

Then suddenly someone asks:

“Have we got the contractor records ready?”

And that is when the folder hunt begins.

For New Zealand growers, especially in kiwifruit and avocado, contractor records are a key part of audit readiness. This matters for GLOBALG.A.P., GRASP, Zespri GAP, NZGAP, and export supply chain confidence.

The goal is not to create paperwork for the sake of it.

The goal is to prove that contractors working on the orchard are suitable, informed, controlled, and connected to your compliance system.

Let’s break this down in plain English.

Why Contractor Records Matter

Contractors can affect many parts of orchard compliance.

They may be involved in:

• Harvesting
• Pruning
• Thinning
• Spraying
• Fertiliser application
• Mowing
• Shelterbelt work
• Drainage
• Machinery work
• Labour supply

Each of these activities can affect food safety, worker welfare, environmental risk, traceability, and health and safety.

Zespri says registered contractors in its programme must be inspected against the relevant GAP sections and all GRASP requirements before being issued a Compliance Assessment Verification, or CAV. A CAV is valid for 12 months and must be renewed each year.

Zespri also states that contractors need a valid CAV to supply labour, harvest fruit, maintain vines, apply sprays, or apply fertiliser on kiwifruit orchards that supply Zespri.

That means contractor records are not a side issue.

They are part of proving the orchard is being managed properly.

1. Contractor Approval and CAV Evidence

Before audit season, growers should know which contractors have been used and whether their approval evidence is current.

For Zespri kiwifruit orchards, this may include checking whether the contractor holds a current CAV for the type of work being done.

Zespri explains that contractors must develop documents and records that show their systems are working and meet GAP and GRASP requirements.

For growers, the practical point is simple:

Do not wait until audit week to confirm contractor status.

Keep evidence tidy as contractors are booked, engaged, and used.

Useful records may include:

• Contractor name and contact details
• Scope of work
• CAV or contractor approval evidence where required
• Dates of work
• Orchard blocks worked in
• Any linked job records

This does not need to be complicated.

But it should be easy to find.

2. Contractor Induction Records

A contractor may know their own job well.

But they do not automatically know your orchard.

That is why induction records matter.

A good contractor induction may cover:

• Orchard access points
• Emergency contacts
• Site hazards
• Biosecurity expectations
• Food safety rules
• Chemical or spray risks
• Traffic movement
• Worker welfare contacts
• Incident reporting
• Environmental controls

The record should show that the contractor was given key site information before starting work.

This matters because audits are not only about whether a document exists.

They are about whether the system makes sense.

If a contractor is working on your orchard, there should be evidence that they were told what they needed to know.

3. Training and Competency Evidence

Some contractor work carries higher risk.

This may include:

• Agrichemical use
• Fertiliser application
• Machinery operation
• Working at height
• Chainsaw or vegetation work
• Labour supervision
• Harvest operations

For higher-risk work, growers should know that the contractor has suitable training, competency, or approval for the task.

You do not need to hold every internal training record for every contractor.

But you should have enough evidence to show the contractor was suitable for the work and the right checks were made.

This might include:

• CAV or approval status
• Contractor declarations
• Training summaries
• Certificates where relevant
• Spray or fertiliser competency evidence
• Machinery or task-specific evidence where required

The level of evidence should match the level of risk.

4. Spray and Fertiliser Contractor Records

Spray and fertiliser records are high-value audit evidence.

They link to food safety, residue risk, environmental protection, worker safety, and export confidence.

Zespri states that spray contractors are responsible for ensuring all regulatory and Zespri requirements are met and need detailed, accurate records for all agrichemicals used. It also says agrichemicals must be used in line with the Zespri Crop Protection Standard and label instructions.

Before audit season, growers should make sure contractor records clearly show:

• What product was applied
• Where it was applied
• When it was applied
• Who applied it
• Application rates
• Relevant weather or site conditions
• Withholding or follow-up information where required
• Any approvals or exceptions where relevant

This is one area where vague notes can create stress.

If the work affects fruit safety or environmental risk, the record needs to be clear.

5. Worker Welfare and GRASP Evidence

GRASP focuses on responsible social practices and worker welfare.

GLOBALG.A.P. describes GRASP as an evaluation checklist producers can use to assess, improve, and show responsible social practices. It covers areas such as labour and human rights, worker representation, and protection of children and young workers.

For growers using labour contractors or harvest crews, this matters.

You may need to understand how worker welfare evidence is being managed, especially where contractor labour is part of your orchard operation.

Relevant evidence may connect to:

• Worker communication
• Complaint pathways
• Worker rights information
• Wage and time record systems
• Induction processes
• Responsible person details
• Labour provider checks

The goal is not to take over the contractor’s business.

The goal is to make sure contractor labour does not become a blind spot in your compliance system.

6. Environmental and Site Risk Records

Contractors can also create environmental risks.

For example:

• Fuel or oil spills
• Chemical handling
• Waste disposal
• Soil disturbance
• Drainage work
• Damage to shelterbelts or waterways
• Incorrect storage of materials

Before audit season, growers should check whether contractor-related environmental risks have been considered and whether any incidents, spills, or corrective actions have been recorded.

This could include:

• Spill response records
• Waste disposal evidence
• Contractor site rules
• Environmental incident records
• Corrective action follow-up

GLOBALG.A.P. is not just about the fruit.

It is also about responsible production.

7. Complaints, Incidents, and Corrective Actions

If something went wrong during the season, do not leave it floating in someone’s memory.

Keep records of:

• Contractor incidents
• Near misses
• Worker complaints
• Food safety concerns
• Environmental issues
• Corrective actions
• Follow-up checks

Zespri’s contractor requirement pages include systems topics such as complaints and records, showing that complaint handling and record control are part of the compliance picture.

The key point is this:

If an issue was raised, show what happened next.

Auditors do not expect perfection.

But they do expect follow-through.

What Growers Get Wrong Most

Here are the common mistakes:

1. Only checking the contractor once

Contractor evidence should stay current, especially across a busy season.

2. Keeping records in too many places

A text message here, an email there, and a paper form in the ute creates audit stress.

3. Assuming the contractor has everything covered

Contractors have duties, but growers still need orchard-level oversight.

4. Forgetting to link records to the actual work

A CAV is helpful, but you also need to know what work was done, where, and when.

5. Waiting until audit week

By then, missing evidence is much harder to fix.

A Simple Contractor Records Pre-Audit Check

Before audit season, ask:

• Do we know every contractor used this season?
• Do we know what each contractor did?
• Do we have current CAV or approval evidence where required?
• Do we have induction records?
• Are spray and fertiliser records complete?
• Are worker welfare and GRASP-related records clear?
• Are incidents, complaints, or corrective actions closed out?
• Can we explain our contractor system calmly?

If the answer is “not quite,” that is your starting point.

Not panic.

Just tidy the evidence.

A Note for Growers Outside New Zealand

This article is written with New Zealand growers in mind, especially kiwifruit and avocado businesses, but the principles apply widely.

GLOBALG.A.P. and GRASP are international frameworks.

The crop may change.
The buyer may change.
The contractor system may change.
The local law may change.

But the core idea stays the same:

Know who is working on your farm or orchard.
Check they are suitable.
Share site expectations.
Keep useful records.
Protect workers.
Manage food safety and environmental risks.

If you operate outside New Zealand, use this structure and align it with your local legislation, buyer rules, and certification requirements.

Final Thought

Contractor records are not just audit paperwork.

They are proof that the orchard has control over who comes onsite, what work is done, and how risks are managed.

For growers, strong contractor records reduce stress.

They support food safety.
They support worker welfare.
They support environmental care.
They support audit confidence.

If you would like practical, editable templates to help organise contractor approvals, CAV evidence, inductions, worker welfare records, spray and fertiliser records, incidents, complaints, and corrective actions, our Way Safe Biz DIY Compliance Bundle is currently being developed.

You can register your expression of interest below.

Clear contractor records.
Clear audit evidence.
Audit-ready confidence.

– Esther, Way Safe Biz