Tomatoes greenhouse worker (on-site interview) Steenbergen, in Netherlands

Job description

Our Dutch partner, KBB, a farming company, located in the Netherlands South Region, is currently hiring tomato baggers “zakken”.

As a tomatoes greenhouse worker, flexible work will be requested to you, as a variety of tasks might appear during the entire season in the tomato greenhouse. You will be mostly responsible for bagging the tomato plants, in sawdust bags.

Bagging allows for the ease of handling by the consumer. This bagging requires an extra effort at the greenhouse as packing shed over and above what is required for the tray packing, damages tomatoes. It is also important not to overfill the harvest baskets as fruit can be damaged when the baskets are stacked on the pallets for transport to the packing shed. Important handling precautions include minimizing the height that the tomatoes are dropped into the harvest basket and picking early in the morning when the fruit temperatures are cooler than under the heat of the day.

You might also be asked to perform the following: 

• Preparation of the plants;
• Transplanting the plants, handling cautiously;
• Nurturing the plants and pruning the tomatoes before cropping, according to team leaders’ instructions;
• Picking the tomatoes for the harvest;
• Sorting tomatoes according to their quality.

This is a demanding job and overtime shifts might be required to be done, as well as working on Saturdays too.

If you work more than 152 hours in a 4 week period, the overtime is payed extra 135%.

Requirements:

• Some experience working in greenhouses, specially in tomato bagging “zakken”, as the way how the tomatoes are handled at harvesting also impacts the presentation of the tomato at the market;
• Ready to work in warm environment (during summer it can be +30ºC inside of the greenhouse to allow the fruit to grow);
• Enthusiastic and motivated workers, who don’t mind to tackle;
• In good health and willing to do a physical and demanding job as there might be some bending and heavy tasks to be carried out;
• Motivation to stay for a long period in the Netherlands;
• Availability to stay in the Netherlands at least 6 months without holidays, as during the harvest season is not possible to have holidays.

Allowances:

People are entitled to a holiday payment that amounts 8% of the actual wage: Holiday reservation will be paid during holiday or if contract terminates.