Coffee cooperatives announced the opening of 3,000 jobs for coffee harvesting in different farms located in the Central Valley. The cooperatives groups more than 1,500 coffee producers in 25 different communities in Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago, and San José.
These cooperatives have developed a support strategy, creating a database to connect people interested in collecting coffee with producers who need this work, thus generating sources of employment and supporting the reactivation of the economy in our area of influence. “, stated a representative.
We are looking for people with the willingness to work in agriculture, with ease of approaching previously coordinated farms, who comply with the established health protocols and with the ability to make a quality harvest following the indications of the producer or manager of the farm.
Those interested in collecting coffee during the period from November 2020 to February 2021, can enter their data in the form available on Coopelibertad’s Facebook or send a WhatsApp message to 8946-2826.
In the form, they must include their contact information, the area where they would be willing to collect coffee, and if they have any experience, although this is not a mandatory requirement.
The hours of the harvest days are determined by each producer according to the farm requirement. Payment is made per trunk depending on the volume of coffee to be collected, the price is between ¢ 1,050 and ¢ 1,500 per trunk.
Need in other producing areas
Although the National Coffee Institute (Icafé) opened a form in June for Costa Rican residents to sign up for the coffee harvest, as of August 15th, there were only 16,664 people registered, of which just over 13,000 are Costa Ricans. The necessary labor force estimated by Icafé reaches 70 thousand people.
This year the harvest periods will be under a very different context, with a Pandemic and new protocols on the shoulder as well as with land borders under lockdown, which directly affects the availability of labor, since a large part of those who pick coffee in our country, are foreigners.
Xinia Chaves, director of Icafé, again asked the residents of the country to join in the harvesting of the grain. “We call on you to take advantage of this opportunity. We estimate the coffee harvest at 2,100,000 bushels, this means that we will have an availability of resources, assuming that the established minimum is paid, of 48 billion to Costa Ricans” she commented.
Chaves assured that 92% of coffee producers in the country are small and that if the demand for labor is not met; there is a risk of crop failure. According to the Ministry of Labor, coffee producers must pay at least ¢ 1,011.22 for each bushel of coffee collected.
