The council asked for $14,425 from the government agency to help fund a labour survey on the district’s horticulture and viticulture sectors.
But Immigration New Zealand national manager for skills and investment Matt Hoskin said it only gave the council $5000.
Central Otago Labour Market Governance Group chairman Stephen Jeffery said the council would fund the shortfall of $9425.
When asked if he was happy with the funding from Immigration NZ he said, "I guess we’ve got to be."
"I can understand their reluctance to fund it. They thought it should have been funded by the industry."
The last survey was in 2015 and a new one would provide updated information on crop planting and associated labour demand. It would begin this month with a combination of mailed paper questionnaires as well as face-to-face interviews and would address information on crop plantings and associated labour demand.
It would be undertaken by Tara Druce and Martin Anderson, Mr Jeffery said.
In total, the survey was estimated to cost $38,000.
The remainder of the survey would be funded by $11,500 from the New Zealand Fruitgrowers Association Seasonal Solutions Ltd, $8625 from Seasonal Solutions Ltd, and $3450 from Central Otago Winegrowers.
Survey results would be released in August.
