"The production is in full swing, the blueberry harvest is being carried out and we need hard intensive labour for the three and a half months it lasts in order to lift this production," said the mayor of the mission town of San José.
The growth of missionary agriculture attracted the global exporter of fruits, El Encuentro Berries, which went to the province to plant blueberries and encourage other producers to follow suit so they could capture an eager international buyer market.
Blueberry production is almost unprecedented in Misiones, with just a few acres. The mayor said the company valued the quality of missionary production, which is exported in its entirety. According to estimates, there's the potential of planting two thousand hectares of blueberries and other berries, such as currants, gooseberries, red and yellow raspberries, blackberries and cherries in Misiones.
The mayor explained that this production's harvest required intensive labour, about 30 people per hectare, solving the harvesters' employment problem because the collection occurs between September and November, when they are out of work. Since the buyers are from international markets, one of the quality requirements is that employment be formal.
Source: misionesonline.net