On May 26, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a royal decree law to extend the extraordinary measures to promote temporary agricultural employment until September 30, 2020 (originally, it was to remain in force until June 30).
These measures will make it possible to guarantee a sufficient availability of laborers to meet the needs of agricultural producers, given the limitations to the mobility of workers from other countries as a result of COVID-19. This is a strongly seasonal sector, subject to the crops' production cycles, which requires more laborers between the end of March and September, when several of the most active and important campaigns are underway, including those of stone fruit or summer crops.
The objective of this extension is to make sure that the harvest is carried out and that the supply in the entire food chain is guaranteed, with products reaching the final consumer without any reduction in quantity and/or quality.
The royal decree-law approved also requires companies and employers to contact the autonomous public employment services within ten working days following the agreement.
The approval of this extension should allow those who need it most to be backed financially and to improve the socio-labor conditions of the population.
For more information: www.mapa.gob.es