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Job
Vacs in JAB
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FINDING
WORK ABROAD
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AGRICULTURE
& ANIMALS
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Fruit Picking
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| Emptying
a field or orchard of its crop is a physically demanding
task that has long provided the backpack worker with
wages. |
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| When |
 It
depends on nature. Each crop has a season of planting,
growing and harvesting. Harvesting time is when backpack
labour is often needed. Some work may also be available
after the crop has been picked: spring time bulb packing
in Holland is a popular example.
Work can be found in Europe through the spring, summer
and autumn, while Australia has work all year in some
areas. Dates are difficult to pin down exactly, never
treat them as written in stone; the weather delays,
moves forward or can ruin crop picking. |
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| Where |
| Try
France, Germany, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Italy,
Spain, Portugal, Greece, Norway, USA, the UK, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand. Some countries offer better
opportunities than others. Without foreign labour,
Australian farmers report they would have difficulty
bringing in the crops, while, in Germany, mechanization
limits the chance to earn Deutchemarks. |
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| Work |
There
are many crops you may find yourself picking, both
fruit and vegetables: grapes, apples, peas, peaches,
citrus fruit, cherries, apricots, hops, potatoes,
tomatoes, onions, tobacco, plums, kiwi fruit, avocados,
pears, oranges, wheat, maize, nuts, pumpkins, melons,
nectarines, etc.
Each crop has a different technique and and will test
different parts of the body. Some fruit will require
lots of ladder work, while others involve constant
bending down. Other considerations include weight:
there's a big difference between melons and cherries,
for instance. |
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| Qualifications |
| A
strong back, arms and legs, plus lots of stamina.
Agricultural work is physically demanding and muscles
will ache until used to it. At the end of your stint
in a field you will certainly be much fitter. |
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| Pay |
| The
more you pick the more you earn - piece rates are
the order of the day with agricultural work. Don't
expect to get rich, the job will keep you fed and
housed overseas for a while - probably in a tent. |
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| Finding
Work |
| The
seasonal nature of crop picking makes it difficult
to arrange work in advance, though it is possible.
The best way to find work is to get on your bike to
harvesting regions and ask around, or pick up the
phone, flick through yellow pages, and phone the farmers. |
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| Tips |
| Take
some gloves for the cold, a sun hat and sunscreen
for the hot, and something soothing to rub in wherever
it's sore. |
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| Further
Information |
| Work
Your Way Around the World devotes a lot
of attention to this subject. It gives advice on finding
both legal and illegal work and includes maps of harvest
areas, wage rates and likely dates. The latest edition
is available
from amazon.co.uk |
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| Links |
| Directory
> Agriculture & Animals |
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