Description
Harvesting labourers and related workers assist other farm workers to plant, harvest, sort and pack crops. They participate in soil preparation, irrigation and crop planting, spraying and thinning. They are employed on fruit, vegetable and specialty crop farms.
Job Titles
- Apple picker
- Berry picker
- Crop farm labourer – harvesting
- Fruit picker
- Fruit sorter – farm
- Harvest hand
- Vegetable packer – farm
Main Duties
- Prepare and irrigate soil
- Plant, fertilize, thin and harvest crops
- Pick row and orchard crops
- Sort, weigh and pack fruit and vegetables at the farm
- Load, unload and transfer crates, supplies, farm produce and products for transport
- Clean up racks, trays, and harvest bins and general clean up of growing, producing and packing areas
- Assist with general farm maintenance and maintenance of equipment and tools
- May assist in preparing garden beds for planting
- May write daily progress reports of inventory harvested.
Workplaces
- Crop farms
- Fruit farms
- Livestock farms
- Specialty farms
- Vegetable farms
Skills
- Equipment and Tool Selection
- Operation and Control
- Preventative Maintenance
- Quality Control Testing
- Troubleshooting
Abilities
- Multi-Limb Coordination
- Trunk Strength
- Control of Settings
- Depth Perception
- Dynamic Strength
Personal Attributes
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Active Learning
- Attention to Detail
- Concern for Others
Similar Occupations
- Managers in agriculture (80020)
- Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators (84120)
- Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors (82030)
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be very good for Harvesting labourers (85101) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
- A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Harvesting labourers is a seasonal, physically demanding occupation with low entry requirements; therefore high employee turnover will be a major source of future job openings. Employers rely on the Temporary Foreign Worker program to fill temporary jobs/vacancies in this occupation when qualified Canadian labour is not available.
The supply of labourers has decreased on the Island over the years and employers continue to experience difficulty finding workers during peak periods. The trend towards more specialized farms is affecting the demand for harvesting labourers in the province. The increased use of advanced farming technology, such as farms with renewable energy-producing systems, will continue to create a need for those with higher skills and knowledge levels.
Here are some key facts about Harvesting labourers in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 450 people work in this occupation.
- Harvesting labourers mainly work in the following sectors:
- Agriculture (NAICS 111, 112, 1151, 1152): more than 95%
- The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 89% compared to 84% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 11% compared to 16% for all occupations
- 25% of harvesting labourers work all year, while 75% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 31 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: 71% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: 28% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: 35% compared to 11% for all occupations
- high school diploma or equivalent: 44% compared to 28% for all occupations
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 6% compared to 11% for all occupations
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: 9% compared to 25% for all occupations
- bachelor’s degree: less than 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $16.00 | $16.65 | $20.00 |
| Canada | $14.60 | $16.50 | $23.28 |
Training
There are no known training programs for this occupation in PEI. If you are aware of a local training program, please contact us.
There are currently no job listings for this occupation on WorkPEI.