Spanish agriculture is going through a decisive moment. While the sector denounces the lack of generational change and the increase in production costssome young people are beginning to see the countryside as a way to stability compared to other jobs. Although their activity is demanding and requires constant effort, there are even tougher professions with less margin for autonomy, such as the masonryplumbing and carpentry, among others.
This is the case of Sebastián, a young Spaniard who went from construction to agriculture in search of a better life, reorienting his career path towards a sector that, in his opinion, has greater stability and higher incomes.
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Earn more in the field than in a construction site
After several years between scaffolding and construction, this worker explains in an interview for ‘El Español’ that the physical hardness and volatility of the sector led him to evaluate different alternatives, including the countryside. “In the work you can earn about 1,500 eurosbut in the countryside, if you have a good harvest, at least 2,500. And without being so physically hard,” he points out.
However, the change was not immediate. Sebastián admits that he hesitated before committing to a demanding production model so conditioned by the climate, but he found in greenhouse crops a possibility of generating constant income throughout the year, as long as the farm was well planned. “If you have enough land, you can rotate; while one farm raises, on another you collect. This way you always have activity and something to sell,” he explains.
The barriers of working in agriculture
Although Sebastián has verified that he obtains greater income working in the agricultural sector, he warns of extreme heat in summer, water uncertainty and the need to initially invest in infrastructure, something that determines profitability. As for greenhouses, he assures that they represent one of the largest outlays.
“The greenhouse meter costs 1.5 euros and lasts three or four years. If you are unlucky and lose the harvest, you lose everything.”
Even so, the young man assures that the physical wear and tear is less than in construction and that the control over his time and income compensates for the difficulties. In this way, as he explains, he currently combines his morning work with work on the family farm while making the final leap to spending all his time in agriculture. “Later I want to set up a greenhouse and dedicate myself more fully,” he concludes.