Ukrainian Workers Crucial for Czech Harvest, Especially for Manual Tasks

The success of the Czech agricultural harvest hinges significantly on the labor of Ukrainian seasonal workers, particularly for tasks where mechanization is limited. At the Bramko cooperative near Stará Lysá, dozens of workers, many of them Ukrainian, can be found in the fields, diligently harvesting crops like radishes and lettuce under the sun. Aleš Schneiberg, the commercial director, explains that these are labor-intensive activities for which specialized machinery is practically non-existent. Bramko employs approximately 800 people year-round, but during the most demanding parts of the season, this number swells to around 600 Ukrainian workers. These individuals are essential for gathering not only radishes and lettuce but also icebergs, potatoes, pumpkins, and a wide array of other produce from the cooperative's more than 50 cultivated crops. Without their crucial contribution, the timely completion of the harvest would be impossible, highlighting the deep integration of Ukrainian labor into the Czech agricultural landscape.

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There are dozens of people in the field near Stará Lysá, with bent backs, harvesting radishes. The sun is beating down, but the work needs to be done.