  Usually, most of
the coffee pickers are Nicaraguan immigrants.
- A.M. Costa Rica wire services photo. |
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 Published Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Thousands
of foreigners must be
registered as coffee pickers By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The Coffee Institute developed a program to register an identification document for each immigrant who arrives in the country to work as a coffee picker. According to Xinia Chaves, director of the institute, said that this year they could be needing up to 70,000 people in the months with the highest harvest levels, which are November, December and January. Usually, most of the coffee pickers are Nicaraguan immigrants. A government decree requires all companies that hire immigrants for harvesting coffee must be up to date with their immigration status and have their respective identification, the institute said. Workers can obtain their identification document through the company that hires them or directly in their nearest branch of the Ministry of Agriculture. To obtain the temporary permit, workers must first make an appointment with the authorities by dialing 1311. Immigrants must prove that they have been in the country since before January 15, 2020, to obtain the ID, the institute said. The deadline to complete the procedure is Sept. 22. This year’s harvest, starts in August 2020 and runs until March 2021, is expected to exceed 2 million coffee bushes. Each bushel is equivalent to roughly 55.5 liters. Also, the Ministry of Agriculture recently approved a sanitary guideline for the coffee production sector, in regards to the prevention of covid-19. The goal is to protect the thousands of workers in the coffee fields, Minister Renato Alvarado said. Among other measures, the protocol includes: · Instructions for cleaning, hygiene and disinfection of work areas and workers. · Provide information to all workers on the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health. · Guideline for the use of protective equipment for workers. · Establishment of shifts and schedules that help the formation of labor bubbles and social distancing among workers. ---------------------- Does working in the coffee fields increase the risk of covid-19 contagion? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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