 |
|
|
 Business News | April 2007 
Fruit Growers Expect to Double the Number of Mexican Pickers
 Joanne Lee-Young - Vancouver Sun
| | Workers to harvest cherry and apple crops in the B.C. interior are in short supply again. |
B.C. fruit growers facing a shortage in apple and cherry pickers expect to double the number of temporary workers from Mexico this year. At the same time, however, they are emphasizing efforts to develop local sources of labour.
The $130-million-a-year industry is facing yet another severe shortage of pickers. In past years, it has mostly been apples that have fallen to the ground or been picked too late, but more recently, cherries are also going to waste with losses in the thousands of dollars.
Glen Lucas, general manager of the B.C. Fruit Growers' Association, estimates that some 1,700 workers are needed for the apple picking season between September and October.
About 700 of these will filled by the growers themselves, he estimates, leaving another 1,000 pickers to be hired. He said that for the cherry picking season, between July and August, some 1,200 pickers and 1,200 sorters will be needed.
Competition for workers from other sectors is a major issue, but changes in the industry itself have also exacerbated the situation.
For example, newer varieties of apples, like the Gala or the Ambrosia, have to be picked in multiple sessions "in order to get the reddest apples off the tree." Before, with older varieties such as the red delicious, trees could be stripped in one picking, which takes less time and labour. With cherries, exponentially greater demand from consumers has spurred growers to plant more trees while the supply of pickers has remained the same, said Lucas.
All this has growers eager to seek a long-term labour solution beyond the pool of temporary workers from Mexico.
Lucas said that in 2004, growers in the Okanagan used four temporary workers from Mexico. In 2005, there were 66 and last year there were 300. He expects the number will double this year to 600. For the entire province, he pegs the number of temporary workers this year at 2,000.
"Workers from Mexico are a real safety valve," said Lucas. "But our preference is local workers because this is less costly."
"We need to do more to attract and retain workers. We are also looking to student workers, first nations groups, and the usual adult population," said Joe Sardinha, president of the association.
To this end, the provincial government is giving the growers a small grant of $44,200 to fund orientation workshops, materials and services for French-Canadian students, in particular, so that they can make the most out of their summer picking jobs, and hopefully return year after year.
"We will hire two summer students who will help these workers settle in and provide some training. We want to make it safe and enjoyable for them. The whole goal is to retain these local workers," said Lucas.
The program funding, announced last week by three government ministries -- Small Business and Revenue, Regulatory Reform, and Agriculture and Lands -- will also be put toward developing an online database of accredited growers so that employees can easily locate operations that offer a basic level of services. As well, a handbook for growers outlining good employment practices will be produced.
"We did a survey of employees a few years ago and one thing really struck us. Working conditions were key," said Lucas. "People want good, clean facilities and camp sites with hand-washing stations."
"Some growers really try to make it an experience now and they hold barbecues on Friday nights. We have to go that extra mile now that competition for workers is fierce."
jlee-young@png.canwest.com
HAND-PICKED LABOUR
The B.C. Fruit Growers Association, which represents about 90 per cent of apple and cherry growers in the province, estimates that the B.C. industry:
Is worth about $130 million annually.
Is in need of 1,200 pickers and 1,200 sorters for the cherry season, which runs from July to August.
Is in need of 1,700 pickers for the apple season, which runs from September to October. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us