Freshuelva Integrates 46 Moroccan Seasonal Workers in a Pilot Migration Project
The association of strawberry producers and exporters from Huelva, Freshuelva, has added 46 temporary employees from Morocco to its workforce. This action is carried out within an experimental program that manages a circular migratory flow between both countries, with the main purpose of meeting the need for personnel for red fruit harvesting. 🍓
A Pilot that Speeds Up Hiring Workers
This program allows formalizing contracts directly in Morocco, before the employees travel to Spain. This way, the entire process is accelerated, and it is ensured that the seasonal workers have all the required documentation and permits from the very first moment. Currently, these workers are already in the province of Huelva and have begun their tasks in various farms linked to Freshuelva.
Key Advantages of the Process:- The time to fill urgent positions in the field is reduced.
- Workers arrive with their situation fully regularized.
- Greater legal security is offered for both the employer and the employee.
The solution for harvesting strawberries seems to pass, at least for now, more through signing agreements than designing harvesting robots.
Based on an Agreement Between Governments
This pilot test is based on a established agreement between the governments of Spain and Morocco. The main objective is to organize the movement of people and address the shortage of workers in specific sectors that suffer from chronic scarcity. Agriculture, and particularly berry harvesting, is identified as one of those key sectors.
Objectives of the Bilateral Agreement:- Organize migratory flows in a legal and safe manner.
- Respond to the seasonal demand for labor in agriculture.
- Create a stable framework for future labor collaborations.
Technology and Human Labor
Although technology is progressing at a good pace, the harvesting of delicate fruits like strawberries still largely depends on manual labor. This pilot project underscores that, for the moment, initiatives to manage labor migration are a fundamental piece for maintaining production. Human labor remains irreplaceable in many field tasks. 🤝