Imagine this – young men from Svrljig, a town far from Dragačevo, sweating it out at +35 degrees Celsius while picking raspberries! Once upon a time, raspberry pickers were mostly local students eagerly waiting for a job, but today? The situation is completely different. There are hardly any workers for raspberry picking even in neighboring places, so pickers are brought from distant parts of Serbia, and even from India and Pakistan!
Alen Macura, a 21-year-old guy from Svrljig, says they wake up at 4:30 AM, drink coffee, and start working before the sun gets too hot. The job is tough but not unbearable, and the boss, Goran Glavonjić from a Dragačevo village, takes good care of them – providing quality meals, cold water, and accommodation. The daily wage? Five dinars! The picking season lasts about twenty days, so these guys can earn a decent amount if they endure the scorching heat and hard work.
Goran refused an offer from a Belgrade agency to bring workers from Pakistan for three dinars a day because he’s not sure if they know how to pick raspberries or if they can handle the heat. He prefers to give a chance to local guys who, as he says, are hardworking and not afraid of tough labor.
This story reveals how hard it is today to find seasonal workers for agriculture in Serbia. Students used to line up for jobs, but now pickers come from faraway places and abroad. Is this a sign that young people are running away from hard work or that agriculture in Serbia is dying? Or is the problem in the conditions and pay?
If you ever thought raspberry picking was an easy seasonal gig, think again! These guys wake up at dawn, work under the blazing sun, drink cold water, and eat quality food, but it’s still grueling work. Still, earning five dinars a day with accommodation and food isn’t bad, especially if you work for twenty days.
Boss Goran is an example of how seasonal workers should be treated – with respect and care. But is that enough to keep young people in the countryside and prevent agriculture from dying out?
If you have similar experiences or opinions on why young people are fleeing agriculture, drop a comment below. Maybe it’s time we all think about the future of Serbian villages and farm work. Or just have a laugh at these heroes picking raspberries while we complain about office air conditioning. Who knows?
Anyway, respect to Alen, Mirko, and Goran – you are the real heroes of the Serbian summer!
