“Covid19”, impact on crop harvest staffing world wide?

[Pilatus]

As harvesting of crops is a continuous process around the planet,whether the crops are harvested by machine or gang labour. How are you all managing or going to manage,wherever you are farming in the world , unless lockdown restrictions are lifted soon, and that does not look very likely?
If the above discussed on here already,apologies but please direct me to the “Thread”, Thankyou.

 

[Roger Perry]

Big problems in the U.S.
Workers that normally come from all over the world on work related visa's cannot travel, wheat harvest is starting in May and there will be a shortage of operators.

 

[MrNoo]

No change from normal here unless I go down with it. I am the combine driver, corn cart driver and drier man so will just be a normal year as regards to that. Slightly more concerned re spare parts for combine or any other such machine but have a friend who is overcombined if needed and I can combine for him. Be a bit like the Stroud pound I guess.

 

[solo]

There was an article on news tonight about labour shortages in France following on from acute shortages in Italy which will impact on food shortages. Hops and asparagus were two crops shown but the implications were there across all sectors
I too am a one man band , but if the lockdown persists I may be able to get help from one of the children.

 

[stewart]

Quite an issue here, a lot of our crop harvesting, particularly fruit, is done by backpackers etc, many of them have gone home and with the ban on non residents coming to NZ there is a shortage of labour from that source, the upside is that as an essential industry we are still allowed to operate, the workforce from non essential industries are now working harvesting and packing crop.

 

[Kidds]

I would think planting of some crops has been impacted never mind harvesting.
I am aware of UK growers having access to some UK workers currently laid off etc to help out but I cannot imagine they will be enough to replace the usual seasonal EU migrants.

 

[kiwi pom]

As far as I know the Spud harvest is continuing here without too much trouble. There's been a bit of a shuffle round of "clodologists" I think.

Quite an issue here, a lot of our crop harvesting, particularly fruit, is done by backpackers etc, many of them have gone home and with the ban on non residents coming to NZ there is a shortage of labour from that source, the upside is that as an essential industry we are still allowed to operate, the workforce from non essential industries are now working harvesting and packing crop.

Do you think they will be replaced by locals now that so many have or will lose their jobs?
The issue i see is that there are too many of these agencies taking a cut with all these low skilled temp staff.

 

[gone up the hill]

Plenty of UK farmers not planting things like Spuds this year.

Getting spare parts is going to be a big problem come harvest time

 

[gone up the hill]

Will be a massive shortage of sheep shearers in the UK this year as well because all the overseas shearers that normally come here will be unable to do so!

 

[stewart]

Do you think they will be replaced by locals now that so many have or will lose their jobs?
The issue i see is that there are too many of these agencies taking a cut with all these low skilled temp staff.

So far they have been replaced by locals, it could all change once lockdown restrictions are lifted and some of the locals go back to their old jobs.

 

[kiwi pom]

I would think planting of some crops has been impacted never mind harvesting.
I am aware of UK growers having access to some UK workers currently laid off etc to help out but I cannot imagine they will be enough to replace the usual seasonal EU migrants.

I read a BBC article the other day (so must be true) they said there had been a massive increase in those at least searching for farming and veg picking jobs. With many losing jobs perhaps they'll at least give it a go?
A lot of part time farmers that have lost other income streams might get a job too?

 

[glasshouse]

Plenty of UK farmers not planting things like Spuds this year.

Getting spare parts is going to be a big problem come harvest time

Saw a field earmarked for spuds going into barley yesterday
Dont know if it chippers or what.

 

[kiwi pom]

So far they have been replaced by locals, it could all change once lockdown restrictions are lifted and some of the locals go back to their old jobs.

Will they all have jobs to go back to though?
What's everyone in the tourism industry going to do?
It will be interesting to see what happens. I suspect we'll soon see employers and agencies asking government to allow a workforce back in despite the fact there will be Kiwis to do the job if they just tried looking for them.

 

[glasshouse]

Big problems in the U.S.
Workers that normally come from all over the world on work related visa's cannot travel, wheat harvest is starting in May and there will be a shortage of operators.

The perils of relying on immigrant labour

 

[glasshouse]

If i set off now by boat i might get there in time
I will need double time

 

[stewart]

Will they all have jobs to go back to though?
What's everyone in the tourism industry going to do?
It will be interesting to see what happens. I suspect we'll soon see employers and agencies asking government to allow a workforce back in despite the fact there will be Kiwis to do the job if they just tried looking for them.

We tried looking in previous years, always ended up using back packers or RSE workers, there is quite a difference between a workforce being available and one willing or able to do the job.

 

[Bury the Trash]

There was an article on news tonight about labour shortages in France following on from acute shortages in Italy which will impact on food shortages. Hops and asparagus were two crops shown but the implications were there across all sectors
I too am a one man band , but if the lockdown persists I may be able to get help from one of the children.

Ditto.

 

[glasshouse]

Big problem in uk is slaughtermen and chook workers

 

[kiwi pom]

We tried looking in previous years, always ended up using back packers or RSE workers, there is quite a difference between a workforce being available and one willing or able to do the job.

I know what you mean. I was thinking along the lines of, the better people- those willing to work- have moved up the chain from the basic 'crap' jobs but their 'better' job might not be there any more.
Will they take what's available or just claim benefit?

 

[farmerm]

Plenty of UK farmers not planting things like Spuds this year.

Getting spare parts is going to be a big problem come harvest time

The spud planting is news to me, where did you hear that? It surely can not be because of the virus, would most producers not have committed seed orders a long time before Covid 19 appeared?