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Agriculture not 'sexy' for Polish worker

18 July 2019 - Jeannet Pennings - 15 comments

The shortage of labor migrants is tangible, especially in agriculture, the sector with the largest share of employees from the central and eastern Netherlands. Large employment agencies are unable or hardly able to meet the demand from farmers and if we are to believe the forecasts, the problem will only get worse in the coming years.

It is hectic at most employment agencies at the moment. The demand for temporary workers is high at this time of year, partly due to seasonal work in the agricultural sector. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to answer that question. Due to the strong economic growth in Eastern Europe, fewer and fewer Eastern Europeans are looking for work in Western Europe. In addition, the migrant workers already established here are more likely to choose to return. ABN Amro expects that the number of Eastern European workers employed in the Netherlands will gradually decrease.

This development is at odds with the strongly growing demand for labor from Central and Eastern Europe, the so-called CEE countries. While these are economically favorable times, the working population in the Netherlands will shrink from 2021 due to aging and dejuvenation. The number of labor migrants from Central and Eastern Europe who are active as employees in the Netherlands was 2016 in 371.000, according to research of SEO Economic Research. Together they filled 514.000 different jobs, which amounts to 4,7% of the total number of available jobs in the Netherlands. This means that almost 1 in 20 jobs in the Netherlands was filled by a CEE country.

Less Polish forces
Due to the high levels of seasonal work, the agricultural sector is most dependent on workers from Eastern Europe. Of the CEE-landers in the Netherlands, 26,4% work in agriculture and horticulture, followed by the temporary employment sector with 20,8% (which often also concerns agricultural workplaces). As employment and wages in Eastern Europe grow, and the motivation of Eastern Europeans to move in this direction is declining, bottlenecks are emerging. "Particularly in the agriculture and logistics sectors," agrees Simone Nederend of ABU (Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen). "We hear from our members that it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill in the demand." In particular, the supply to Poland is falling. "Organizations have to look further afield for workers. For example in Italy and Spain where many Romanians work."

Migrant workers will not fillet fish for a few euros

Harold Van Leeuwen

Harold van Leeuwen of employment agency AB Midden Nederland recognizes this development. "We are fully equipped for Poland and surrounding countries such as Romania, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania. Thanks to our 5 recruiters with a good network, we are still growing, but it takes more and more energy. Some vacancies are difficult to fill, on both the top and bottom. There are employment agencies that look further, for example in Asia. However, then it becomes a lot more complicated organisationally, such as permits and airline tickets. We believe that as long as we take good care of the migrant workers, in terms of housing and salary, we can continue to fill demand closer to home."

Need higher wages
For this, according to Van Leeuwen, wages have to rise. "Working migrants can now choose and will not fillet fish for a few euros." Problems therefore arise especially with poorly paid, heavy and dirty work. "The agricultural sector is not so sexy in that regard. It is difficult to fill workplaces in horticulture and livestock farming." Housing is also a major issue. "Take the fruit sector, for example, where we now have about 400 labor migrants at work. We ask employers in this sector to actively contribute ideas and to organize their own accommodation at the company."

In an earlier sector forecast ABN Amro states that the agricultural sector is struggling with a tightening labor market. The vacancy rate (the number of vacancies per 1.000 jobs) in agriculture has risen from 9 to 20 in two years. More and more farmers and horticulturists experience the shortage of labor as an obstacle in their business operations, limiting growth. The shortage of less trained personnel is greatest. Statistics Netherlands reported earlier this year that about 50.000 extra labor migrants will be needed in the coming years to fill the jobs in our country.

European shifts
The great need for labor migrants is not limited to the Netherlands. Take Germany, for example, which is also experiencing a strong aging population. According to recent research, the country will need 2060 migrants a year until 260.000 to cope with the consequences. Neighboring Poland, where many Ukrainians now work, is calling back its 'own' people now that the country's economy is improving. In the neighboring countries of Ukraine, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, residents often choose to build a better life across the border with better wages, which in turn creates labor shortages in these countries. In short, migrant workers are also needed in Central and Eastern Europe.

Brexit positive impulse
According to Nora Neuteboom, Emerging Markets Economist at ABN Amro, there are also factors that can relieve the pressure in the Netherlands. "In the event of a Brexit, many Eastern Europeans will leave the United Kingdom who may settle in the Netherlands. Entrepreneurs can also invest extra in digitization and robotization where possible to mitigate the effect of the staff shortage in the long term."

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Jeanette Pennings

Jeannet has her roots in the flower bulb sector and she grew up on an agricultural company in the northern part of North Holland. As a generalist she reports for Boerenbusiness across all sectors. She is also exploring the possibilities of sponsored advertising.
Comments
15 comments
Flip 18 July 2019
This is in response to it Boerenbusiness article:
[url=http://www.boerenbusiness.nl/ artikel/10883298/landbouw-niet-sexy-voor-polisse-werkers]Agriculture not 'sexy' for Polish workers[/url]
You can see this problem coming from afar, youth is mainly encouraged to do a higher vocational education, the result is that there are no young people who find it interesting to work in the agricultural or construction sector, for example. They all want to become managers, whether they have the capacity or not does not matter, the result is that for MBO jobs HBO workers are now required. In the past, a mavo or lts customer usually started work at the age of 19. One became a baker, the other went to work in the production process or elsewhere where you have to flap your hands. Everyone thought it was fine that way, the very smart rascals went to study and eventually went to work at a higher level.

Agriculture is being stimulated from all sides to go organic, this is accompanied by an unbelievably large workforce, which will cause a problem in the long run. The first organic farmers are already plowing plots because they cannot find people for the weeding beds. The ship is turning, so the point of too much organic supply is already in sight, last carrot season many organic boxes of carrots were dumped on the conventional market.

In order to give the staff shortage a little more air, I think the government would be wise to ban organic farming. It is crazy that so much labor is needed for relatively little food, people are increasingly finding out that organic farming is largely a green lie, the chemical industry is working hard to make even better resources than they've always done. It is better to invest in the new chemistry than to go back to the middle of the last century and tackle weeds with a heel. However, it is more likely that there will be suggested from the left corner to get back to work with a horse and carriage, with the note that the horse is only allowed to fart 2 per day due to the methane emissions...
Subscriber
roy 19 July 2019
Totally agree with you. But I think that the sector is reacting very resignedly to the removal of the conventional sector.
The already low profitability is being put under pressure from all sides.
E.g. crop protection products, labour, diesel, new regulations, certification etc etc
The left has a plan that will not work for the Netherlands. It is up to the various parties to put this clearly on the table and the farmers should have the continuity of their business as the first priority. So make yourself heard!
Expert 19 July 2019
The left is simply the bankruptcy of the Netherlands for all industries. Cheap houses can no longer be built because of the cost-increasing sustainability, garage companies no longer have work because of the electric car. etc etc.
organic farmer 19 July 2019
flip,

Ban organic, why not ban conventional? Come on, what pointless cries. If there is a sector that stands for development, it is organic, with GPS technology and robotization, among other things. Moreover, the conventional food market is completely sick, and the earning model for the farmers is completely gone. You say that organic offers relatively little food, but why don't you substantiate this? Precisely due to the development of resistant varieties, etc., this difference is becoming less and less. If all the billions invested in the chemical industry were invested in the development of better varieties and robotization, you would come much further. As a farmer you are now simply a slave to the industry. Organic has just started to get a decent revenue model again, that supermarkets are now taking it up as marketing is only good, but organic should not go the same way as conventional, where it is just a casino.

Stop talking pointless nonsense, without any form of nuance. That doesn't help anyone.
organic farmer 19 July 2019
flip,

Moreover, you indicate that it is better to invest the money in the new resources, but I think you are not fully aware of what is going on there. The chemical kitchen is pretty empty, and they don't develop anything new at all. It's repurposing old stuff and then selling it as 'green resources', when it's ineffective. Again; farmer the victim. Don't believe all those chemical manufacturers, they're not on your side. They want to make money and are afraid of losing their business model.
Piet 19 July 2019
Poor organic farmer does not yet know how his beloved resistant crops are produced.
Piet 19 July 2019
When I see all those import piles on the knees and the weeding bed, I wonder whether this form of agriculture is a step forward.
These people are imported for six months to do shitty work for a meager salary, and they are obliged to buy a car and shelter from the employer.
Saw an article last week about exploitation and poor working conditions at an organic farmer in Flevoland.
And all the support groups and officials are shouting that this is the future.
I'll be farming for a few more years, I'm done with it
Flip 19 July 2019
Organic farming needs 30-40% more surface area than conventional farming. The organic farmer hopes that the farmers in the wider area will mainly remain common so that the disease pressure can remain under control. With organic agriculture you are only going to feed 2 billion of the people on the earth, what do we do with the rest? As far as weed control is concerned, robotics is still in its infancy and there is still a long way to go, an acquaintance of mine is busy with this. The economical organic farmer injects copper to keep the potatoes healthy, copper is bad for a crop and also a heavy metal. Drain 10 liters per square meter and nothing will grow for 30 years, with Revus for example, the degradation is completed after 6 months. The insects die en masse at the bio burners, the so-called natural enemies are all killed.

The business model for organic is on the verge of collapse, too much supply and too little labor in stock. In 50 years' time we as Dutch people will have to apologize to the Eastern European workers because they have been treated so badly by today's modern slave drivers. This was part of my rationale....
organic farmer 19 July 2019
pete,

That people are treated badly will probably happen, but that is not the rule, rather the exception. But that is why I also argue that robotization should go further, and the development of varieties that are suitable for cultivation without chemicals. With the aim of a good revenue model for farmers; how do you see a solution for you? Continue to gamble and depend on crop failures elsewhere in the world?
organic farmer 19 July 2019
Flip, you sound incredibly sour. You come up with a lot of nonsense, but a lot of useful information does not come out. Business model of organic is on the verge of collapse? Then the GB market has collapsed for many years.
Flip 19 July 2019
Dear organic farmer,

What fact that I mention is wrong? Look, the potato that doesn't get sick is the original form of the potato, unfortunately it is unsuitable / lethal for consumption. You can cross closer to the origin but then you also get closer to the point of being unfit for consumption.
The fear that too many organic farmers will be added is also present in you (and rightly so), the supply and demand game will become more balanced and you do not want that.



Flip is by the way one of the few not sour colleagues of yours. I'm not into blindly following the crowd, however.....
Tieltje 19 July 2019
Flip, he's dumber than a chicken.
What are you ranting about man, blah blah. Doesn't matter what I say as long as I'm speaking. If you can only make food for 2 billion people, don't feed the rest. Logical anyway. Good for the environment and good for your wallet because everything that is scarce becomes expensive. In short, Flip, you're just chatting.
Subscriber
info 20 July 2019
It is nice to see the different insights that entrepreneurs show, but it does appear that both organic and regular agriculture will have a future because there will always be families with a small and a large grant who will be fed by us. It's a shame that Ned. has to give more and more people a home and that this is at the expense of our land area, which means that less and less ha has to be produced for its own population, which also sets requirements for its environment, such as sufficient greenery around it. also costs land. We will end up at a time when we have our food from abroad on the shelves of which the production is not clear, the food that is produced here meets very high safety criteria, you certainly do not have that guarantee from South American products, e.g. bananas that haven't been sprayed don't exist, but luckily we can get unsprayed vegetables from Ned. buy land.
tank 20 July 2019
In 15 years we will be able to use cameras, sensors, soil samples and resistant varieties. perhaps 50% less GBM and fertilizer farmers. And better GBM resources are coming, they are already there, but it takes a lot of time and money to admit them.
vteme 21 July 2019
The left is simply the bankruptcy of the Netherlands for all industries. Cheap houses can no longer be built because of the cost-increasing sustainability, garage companies no longer have work because of the electric car.
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