Photos: European farms struggle to find workers for harvest in lockdown

From Huelva to Hamburg and Newcastle to Naples, Europe's farmers are struggling to find people to bring in rapidly ripening fruits and vegetables, which frequently must be hand-picked, usually within a window of just a few days. While supply lines across much of Europe remian inplace and grocery shelves continue to be stocked, ensuring labour and time sensitive fruits and vegetables make it to dinner plates is a rising concern for farmers.

Updated on: Apr 29, 2020 3:37 PM IST

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Updated on Apr 29, 2020 3:37 PM

A local worker wearing a protective face mask picks red and green Lollo lettuce from a field at the Hortalisses Carbo farm in Girona, Spain. Restrictions due to the coronavirus across Europe are causing problems for farmers with crops standing ready for the harvest but with not enough people for the work. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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Migrant workers wearing protective face masks weed and plant peas in a greenhouse at the Hortalisses Pi farm in Girona, Spain. The coronavirus pandemic and restrictions to combat it are affecting regions dependent of seasonal workers to pick, sort and pack produce before it is sold. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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A migrant worker, wearing a protective face mask, plucks and threads cherry tomatoes inside a greenhouse in Girona, Spain. Getting produce to dinner tables is a race against time for fast ripening fruits and vegetables. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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Local and migrant workers wearing protective face masks pick lettuce from a field in Girona, Spain. Farms are increasingly relying on local workers since most seasonal workers are immobilized by restrictions. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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A migrant worker, wearing a protective face mask and gloves, collects ripe cherry tomatoes inside a greenhouse in Girona, Spain. Farms that deal in delicate fruits and vegetable are harder hit since their produce must be hand-picked, risking damage if machines are used. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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A local worker, wearing a protective face mask, grades and sorts peas according to grain size at the Hortalisses Pi farm in Girona, Spain. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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A local worker, wearing protective gloves, grades and sorts peas according to grain size in Girona, Spain. Another looming concern is finding buyers since people aren’t eating out, restaurants, hotels and catering companies --bulk buyers of produce --remain shut or are severely downsized at the moment. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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A migrant worker, wearing a protective face mask, stacks boxes of ripe cherry tomatoes for transport in Girona, Spain. Weeks of lockdown also means increased stores of produce that risks spiling before reaching consumers. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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Workers load crates of fresh cherry tomatoes for delivery in Girona, Spain. With exports of fresh fruits and vegetables impacted by measures against the pandemic, a silver lining may exist as consumers, looking to boost immunity, turn to eating healthy while stuck at home. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)

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Workers pick ripe artichokes from a field in Girona. Another hope rests in employing furloughed or unemployed workers, or engaging willing volunteers to get harvests on track. (Angel Garcia / Bloomberg)