USA UU (California): Labor issues worry the blueberry sector
Alexander Ott, executive director of the California Blueberry Commission, explains that the state's blueberry growers are suffering from scarce, expensive labor and a drop in market price. California produces 9% of America's blueberries, according to the 2013-2014 California Agricultural Statistics Report, and this year expects a harvest of around 31,7 million kilos thanks to "fantastic" growing conditions.
However, there are problems for farmers. "If we don't have labor, we don't have a harvest", recognizes Ott. «It is not an unskilled job; It is difficult to train farm workers, do research and other things that farmers must do to make the activity profitable. "Workers must know how to prune, differentiate ripe berries from those that ripen unevenly, pick berries without damaging them, and maintain strict food safety measures." Ott points out that labor costs represent the 52-54% of what it costs to produce blueberries.
Ott sees two options for California blueberry producers: hire the same group of workers to do six or seven picks per field or resort to innovation, particularly the use of technology. With the introduction of the blueberry harvester several years ago, the increase in industrialization has allowed farmers to forget the worries of increased wages and labor shortages, protection against stress caused by heat, periods of rest and overtime.
According to Ott, the question is: “How quickly will the industry move towards technology?”. Ott follows the question with great interest: "As farmers mechanize, more questions arise than answers".
Source: Californiaagtoday.com
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