The seasonal labor shortage on berry plantations has worsened this year, and some farms are having to look for alternatives. Enterprises are already concluding agreements to attract workers from Asia. This is reported by the magazine “Yagidnyk”.
The head of LLC “Berry Hub Plus” and the president of the “Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association” Taras Bashtannyk noted that the problem of labor shortage this season has become much more acute than in previous years.
According to him, even free accommodation and meals do not encourage people to return every year: “You can only keep people with a salary.”
He added that currently the payment for a kilogram of berries harvested in Ukraine is only 15% lower than on farms in Poland, but Ukrainians still choose to work abroad more often.
Every day, 4-5 buses of “Berry Hub Plus” transport workers within a radius of 50 km, and at the end of summer the shortage of personnel increases due to the resumption of training and seasonal work on personal farms.
To stabilize the situation, the company has entered into an agreement with a company that will supply seasonal workers from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. The berry growers hope that this will help overcome the staffing crisis and ensure uninterrupted harvest.
