Moroccan and European Seasonal Workers Sustain Lot-et-Garonne Agriculture Amid Pandemic

In Lot-et-Garonne, strawberries, asparagus, tomatoes, arboriculture, Ente plums, kiwis, and hazelnuts are produced. At the helm are seasonal workers from Europe (Portugal, Poland...) and outside the European Union, almost all from Morocco.

The implementation of containment measures and the closure of borders between EU countries, which occurred on March 17, did not create any labor shortages in the department, and is not expected to do so in the coming months, reports La Dépêche. In addition, the prefecture has in the meantime ordered the extension of residence permits for three months. This means that the duration of employment contracts will also be extended.

However, it is difficult to establish the actual figures for this labor force from European countries and Morocco. It should be noted that in February 2019, 803 contract requests were granted for the entire season. From February 2019 to February 2020, the number of these agreements increased from 218 to 351, it is noted.