Background Work
'The image of the farmer must be better for recruiting staff'
The problem is recognizable for farmers who are looking for staff for weed control or who need help later in the season during the harvest. It is not easy to find sufficient and good workers. That problem seems to be getting worse.
The image of the agricultural sector as an employer must therefore be cleaned up quickly in order to prevent major shortages of personnel in the future. So say researchers from the University of Exeter (UK) in a report published today (Thurs 17 June).
Blind spot
Agricultural work still often carries the stigma of long hours, poorly paid, physically demanding work and no career prospects. That is not right, says Caroline Nye, co-author of the report, in an explanation on the site. "For people from outside the sector, agriculture is a blind spot. But there are many more career opportunities than just picking fruit. For example, think of jobs around the advanced technology used or management positions."
Not everything will be automated and people will continue to be needed for the production of our food. If we do not want to become dependent on food imports in Western Europe, the agricultural sector must become an attractive employer. The study recommends this for both the own population and the labor migrants.
The corona crisis and the accompanying travel restrictions have made it painfully clear that agriculture is largely dependent on Eastern European workers. In those countries, the economic situation is improving, as a result of which the popularity of working in the agricultural sector in the west is declining. In the UK, this will be further exacerbated by Brexit. According to the study, this raises an extra threshold for labor migrants.
How does agriculture become attractive?
There are no easy solutions. Farmers, related industry and government need to be flexible and creative. According to the researchers, the agricultural community is a closed stronghold. This is reinforced by the decreasing number of farmers, which makes the sector less visible. Coming out as a sector is a first step in recruiting more people.
But the consumer also plays an important role. Consumers used to cheap food. Supermarkets buy competitively and thus enforce tight margins for the producers. That prevents wages in agriculture from rising, according to the researchers. It is precisely these higher wages that are necessary to make and keep the agricultural sector competitive compared to other sectors.
Jurphaas Lugtenburg
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