Berry manufacturers are considering chartering aircraft to bring in seasonal workers
It is only a few weeks before the strawberries begin to ripen for harvesting and there is the urgency for berry producers to get the workers in place.
Hence, some berry producers are considering chartering a plane to bring in workers for the strawberry season.
Several non-traditional methods are now being considered to solve the problem, NRK reports.
“Some have talked about chartering a plane to get the seasonal workers in on time,“ said Jørn Eugen Haslestad, secretary of the Norwegian Sustainable Farmers’ Team.
On Wednesday, it became clear that foreign seasonal workers from countries outside the EEA could enter Norway to work.
Strawberry farmer Simen Myhrene from Sylling, who is scheduled to hire 26 Vietnamese, believes whatever earnings this year will be lower than normal as workers must be quarantined and infection control is demanding.
This means increased costs for the farmer, which in turn means more expensive berries.
“I don’t think we will get under 50 kroner per basket,“ said Myhrene.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
