Consumption of working time in strawberry production

Authors

• Maritta Yläranta Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Helsinki, SF-00710 Helsinki 71
• Viljo Ryynänen Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Helsinki, SF-00710 Helsinki 71

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72058

Abstract

The results of an empirical study of the working time consumed in strawberry production on Finnish farms are reviewed. Forty growers participated in the study, which took place between 1977—80. The purpose of the study was to determine how much time was consumed in working the fallow ground and during the summer of planting, in the first fruiting year and in the next four or five growth periods. Two cultivation methods were treated separately. The whole strawberry cultivation area was 95,1 ha. In the method in which the earth surrounding the bushes was covered with a black plastic film, the total consumption of working time was 409,0 h/ha using a one-row system and 572,5 h/ha using a double-row system during the fallow period and the summer of planting. During the first fruiting year the figure was 492,5 h/ha and in the next fruiting years 1 348,5 h/ha, including the time spent on harvesting. Where mulch was applied, the corresponding averages were 235,5 h/ha, 612,5 h/ha 1 182,0 h/ha. Factors affecting the variation in the total working time between farms were studied by linear regression analysis. Factors such as e.g. total strawberry cultivation area, the number of plants per hectare and the number of the years the grower had been cultivating strawberries, did not explain the variation in the working time satisfactorily. The yield per hectare, percentage of the different varieties cultivated, planting system, cultivation and picking methods explained only 33 % of the variation in labour output of picking.