Qberry faces challenges as Thailand delays exit permits for berry pickers

The Finnish berry company Qberry, based in Pietarsaari, has found itself in a challenging situation. The company has received residence permits for 220 berry pickers; however, Thailand’s Ministry of Labor has decided not to grant exit permits for these workers to leave the country.

Qberry specializes in cleaning, freezing, and selling berries to both Finnish and international buyers. According to CEO Kiet Tran, the current circumstances are difficult. He estimates that it will take two weeks for the pickers to arrive in Finland once Thailand issues the exit permits. In the meantime, the berries continue to ripen in the forests. “By then, we will be halfway through the blueberry season, which will affect both company revenues and the income of the pickers,” Tran noted.

Tran added that they have already covered the plane tickets and other related costs for the pickers, investing hundreds of thousands of euros to bring the Thai workers to Finland.

As he seeks local pickers as an alternative, Tran points out that they typically do not gather the same quantities of berries as the Thai workers. In the past, berry pickers came to Finland on tourist visas, picked berries legally, and sold them to berry companies. However, regulations changed due to human trafficking allegations against three major Finnish firms. This year, berry pickers are employed by berry companies and are required to have residence permits for Finland.

A legal amendment is anticipated for next year’s berry season, which would classify wild berry pickers similarly to garden berry pickers under seasonal labor laws.