– Many companies were faced with problems last spring. There is a lack of both people and skills in Sweden, says Mats-Ola Persson who runs the farm and company Asmoarp Natur AB (agriculture and forestry). He is also the Chairman of LRF's municipal group (Lantbrukarnas Riksförbund – the Federation of Swedish Farmers).

To forest, pick berries and cultivate vegetables requires handwork. Every year, seasonal workers from Poland, Romania and the Baltic countries come to Hässleholm.

– They have experience and they know the conditions, says Mats-Ola Persson.

At the end of 2020, there were 2,662 unemployed people in Hässleholm municipality.

– We’re in favour of hiring more people from Sweden. The problem is that many give up quickly. It's a bit ... difficult, he says.

But it requires both training and supervision.

– It's not just about throwing people straight into farming. The municipality should train supervisors who can help out on site. It’s difficult for young people and new arrivals to get up to speed with the work.

Jimmy Månsson, Head of Department for the Labour Market Unit, says that it can be difficult to match the long-term unemployed; not least those who are foreign-born, with this type of work.

– Many individuals don’t have a car and can’t get to work. It’s also important to find people who are resilient and can do manual labour after several years of unemployment. There may also be problems with the language.

He still strongly believes in the idea:

– We’re in contact with LRF and are prepared to invest as much as we can.

Can you help with supervisors?

– The municipality can’t hire supervisors, but we can train supervisors together with the companies.