Cherry growers in Sliven are facing a severe crisis this season, with many of them considering not harvesting their harvest at all. The reason for the tension is the extremely low purchase prices imposed by wholesalers, combined with the complete refusal of seasonal workers to comply with labor laws.
Although this year's harvest in the region is considered exceptionally good, fruit growers have found themselves in a trap. Resellers are literally “twisting the arms“ of farmers, offering them an insulting 70-80 euro cents per kilogram of quality produce.
Representatives of the industry tell bTV that the situation is hopeless: “Apart from the domestic market, we have no other alternative”. This market monopoly is forcing some farmers to seriously consider letting the fruit rot on the branches or directly throwing away the already harvested produce.
The mathematics behind production is completely detrimental to Bulgarian farmers, who now operate entirely in the eurozone. For harvesting a kilogram of cherries destined for processing factories, pickers are paid between 35 and 45 euro cents, depending on the volume.
When the fruit is harvested for the fresh market, where higher quality and precision are required, the cost of wages jumps between 50 and 60 euro cents per kilogram. With these production costs and the low levels imposed by the resellers, orchard owners have no margin left to cover investments in preparations, irrigation and round-the-clock labor.
Adding to the financial collapse is yet another administrative absurdity related to hiring seasonal labor. The introduction of mandatory one-day labor contracts is met with fierce and organized resistance on the ground by the pickers themselves.
People who are hired for seasonal work are massively and categorically refusing to provide their ID cards to employers. The reason is their fear that they will lose social benefits or unemployment benefits. Without personal data, however, legally concluding contracts is impossible. Thus, producers in the Sliven region are put in a deadlock - either risking huge sanctions from the Labor Inspectorate for hiring illegally, or being left without a single worker in the field.