Farmer strategies to face labor shortages in Chilean agriculture

Ciência Rural

Verónica Aguirre²  Rodrigo Echeverría¹  Clara Olmedo¹  Gustavo Blanco¹ 

[1] ,Universidad Austral de Chile Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias

关键词: labor shortage;    agricultural labor;    multinomial logit;    farmers' strategies;    Chilean agriculture;    escassez de mão de obra;    mão de obra agrícola;    logístico multinomial;    estratégias dos agricultores;    agricultura chilena;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0103-84782013000800030

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

This study analyzes the strategies that farmers in the south of Chile use to face current labor shortages and identify the variables that determine each of these strategies. A multinomial logit model and odds ratios plots with predicted probabilities were applied to a sample of 384 farmers. Interviews and focus groups were applied to specific producers, professionals and public officials. The main results show that only 32.3% of farmers declared that labor shortage is a problem. Of this percentage 52% chose the strategy of paying better, 13.8% chose improve the workers' working conditions, 9.5% chose to mechanize, and 24.1% did not follow a strategy. The production of labor-intensive products (e.g., exportable fruit) determines the strategy of paying better; the farmer's educational level influences the strategy of improving the working conditions, and the farmer's age affects the strategy of mechanizing. However, the production of labor-intensive products exhibits the greater effect. The main disadvantage of the "pay better" strategy is that workers do not want to commit to their job.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
 All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License