Agriculture is going through a deep generational change crisis that threatens the sustainability and viability of the sector. For this reason, agricultural organizations, such as ASAJA, warn about the shortage of labor and demand, among other measures, the relaxation of regulations to be able to hire immigrants in an irregular situation to stop this situation during the campaigns.
However, the situation is even more critical in regions such as Castilla-La Mancha, where the aging trend is worsening, especially in provinces such as Toledo. In these areas, the combination of rural depopulation and lack of incentives has led to the exodus of the youngest to other sectors.
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How much does the young man earn in the olive campaign?
But, faced with this reality, exceptions arise such as that of Mario Selo, a 22-year-old young man from Madridejos (Toledo), who has decided to take the reins of the family farm, dedicated to typical crops of the region such as vineyards, almond trees, olive trees and pistachios.
According to an interview conducted by ‘El Español’, the young man, after completing a higher degree in Industrial Mechatronics, chose to return to earth and continue a tradition transmitted by his father and uncle since childhood. “Being in the field is what I have always been most passionate about. I can study whatever I want, but in the end you always end up sticking to what you like,” he admits to the newspaper.
During the olive campaign, which starts at the end of November and lasts up to three months, Mario estimates that 70 euros per day can be reached, that is, about 1,540 euros per month. However, the instability of the crops and the price swings They can reduce the profitability of the work. “There are years of good harvests and high prices, but others in which it is not worth it. To survive you have to alternate your farm with work for others,” he says.
“I can’t find Spaniards who want to work”
Added to the economic difficulty is the low availability of labor. “I can’t find Spaniards who want to work,” admits Mario, who has tried on several occasions to gather a group of workers under 25 years of age to cover the needs of the campaign. Something that led him to record video tutorials in which he explained the different agricultural processes to young people with no experience.
Known on social networks as @agr.selo, the young man already has close to 10,000 followers between Instagram and TikTok, where he shares his daily life in the field. His style, marked by spontaneity and humor, has contributed to bringing the primary sector closer to new audiences and, in some cases, to attracting labor.