Foreign berry pickers in Finland have come from as far away as Vietnam this year. The foreigners, who traditionally come to Lapland to work in seasonal agricultural jobs, are coming from further afield than ever. This year, new workers have been recruited from Thailand and even Vietnam.
The goal of foodstuff enterprises such as Riitan Herkku (Rita’s Treats) is to bring in about 100 field workers from Vietnam. Jukka Kristo, CEO of the well established Lapin Liha (Lapland Meats) says the number of Russian and Estonian field workers has declined considerably in recent years.
Recent improvements in the standard of living in the neighbouring countries is seen as the reason for the shrinking pool of berry pickers.
