Salary and employment benefits

According to Pentti Jerone, the blueberry train has already left. Pentti Jeronen

The berry crisis has not affected the people of Pielavetė Pentti “Mustikka-Pentti” Jerosen59, to summer.

Not a single Thai berry picker has arrived in Finland this harvest season. It has not been possible to replace the Thai pickers with domestic labor, which is why the berries threaten to rot in the forests.

However, the berry crisis has not hindered Mustikka-Penti’s picking.

– It hasn’t been visible in any way since I can’t pick up more than I can.

The demand for blueberries has been strong.

– There would be any number of takers, but I can’t pick them up because of my day job.

– It doesn’t matter to me whether they are here or not.

Thai pickers only affect the picking of Mustikka-Penti in such a way that the berry places near the roadside are emptied. In this case, he has to go deeper into the forest to pick, which takes more time and reduces returns.

Strict message

The background of the berry crisis is wage problems and suspicions of human trafficking in the berry industry. According to Talouselämä’s report, a company linked to suspicion of human trafficking paid dividends of 270,000 euros the other year.

Mustikka-Pentti sends a strong message to berry companies.

– Berry entrepreneurs and the food industry must look at themselves in the mirror.

According to him, the price of berries should be raised so that Finns would go pick them from the forests.

Mustikka-Pentti says that he calculated that the price of a jar of yogurt should be increased by two cents in order to cover the increased salary costs.

– It’s not much. Inflation raised prices much more.

The train already left

900 Thai berry pickers are coming to Finland, the Bangkok Post reported on August 2.

Thailand’s Minister of Labor has said that he will come to Finland to check the working conditions of Thai workers in the fall.

Marja Bothnia Berries oy’s export manager Matias Kantola told Iltalehte at the end of July that the berry pickers should be sent to Finland before the change of the moon, so that there would still be time to collect blueberries.

According to Mustikka-Penti, the blueberry train has already left.

– It’s no use asking them here anymore. The blueberry season is already so far that it’s good if the plane tickets make money.

Mustikka-Pentti wonders if it will be the same for berry pickers as it was in Sweden in 2012, when hundreds of Bulgarian berry pickers, disappointed in their earnings, were stuck in the country.

– They should have been here two to three weeks ago.

You have it

In 2022, Mustikka-Pentti made more than 11,000 euros with berries. This year, day jobs have “disturbed” the hobby.

– I cleaned blueberries this morning as well. When I get off work, I go to the blueberry patch and probably pick a couple of buckets.

– When I had four days off, about 16 buckets had to be picked.

This year, about 60 blueberry pods have accumulated in total, Mustikka-Pentti calculates. He is aiming for a hundred sacks this summer.

Mustikka-Pentti says that it sells completely cleaned blueberry pods for 55 euros per piece. You can pick up 35 euros for trashy blueberries.

Income from berry sales is tax-free under certain conditions.