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Belgium Farm Jobs

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Farms & Orchards in Belgium
*The information below is simply a list of farms or growers in Belgium. It does not necessarily mean that they are hiring workers at the moment. You should contact them to inquire about employment and available job opportunities.

Directory of Farms, Orchards, etc

Work Visas

A working holiday visa for Belgium may prove difficult to obtain. Belgium operates working holiday schemes with few countries, including New Zealand and Canada, as the country wants Belgian businesses to hire citizens. Belgium typically grants a working holiday visa only if an employer cannot fill the job with Belgian citizens and obtains a work permit allowing the hiring of foreigners.

Many work visas to Belgium require applicants to earn a job interview first. Foreign workers typically need several forms of identification, such as a valid passport and government ID, to earn admittance to Belgium. Foreign workers meeting requirements may not earn admittance to Belgium if the country meets the pre-set foreign worker limit for the year. Belgium operates under the Schengen Agreement, a pact allowing workers from other countries under the agreement to cross borders freely and work in neighboring countries.

Many services provided by the Consulate General of Belgium assess a fee. The Consulate General of Belgium requires all payments made by money order only. Common services associated with fees include applications for naturalization, working visas, and the production of passports.

Belgium typically limits working holiday applicants between the ages of 18 and 30. Applicants need to prove financial stability before applying for a working holiday visa in Belgium. Limited spaces to Belgium typically fill quickly each year. Application approval may take months, and the Belgium government reserves the right to deny any foreign worker. Belgium requires foreign workers to apply for work holiday visas through local Consulate General of Belgium offices.

Applicants wishing to work in Belgium permanently must apply for naturalization. Two major criteria for citizenship in Belgium state that applicants must be at least 18 years old and hold stable residency at a single address for no less than three years. Upon completing the Belgium naturalization process, applicants assume and reserve all rights of full Belgian citizens. Children of newly appointed Belgian citizens under the age of 18 do not assume citizenship automatically.

In December 2010, Belgium began using electronic ID cards, or eID, for citizens living abroad. The Belgian government still recognizes non-electronic ID cards issued abroad. An ID card may become invalid only when the holder moves to an area under jurisdiction of a different consulate or embassy. Non-electronic ID cards and eID cards remain valid for five years.

Contact the local Consulate General of Belgium office to discover further information on a working holiday visa in Belgium. The Consulate General of Belgium in New York link is provided as an example.

Working in Belgium

The favorable conditions found in Belgium allow for intense agricultural cultivation. Approximately 30% of the region partakes in some form of agricultural production. Coupled with moderate temperatures, evenly distributed precipitation, and a lengthy growing season, the sovereign state in Western Europe produces a bounty large enough to receive the title of a net food exporter. While the output of crops continues to increase by roughly 10% each year, the number of small family farms remains on a downward spiral of close to 80% in the last three decades. Large agribusinesses dominate the farming industry with new technologies and scientific crop research. Only two percent of the population participates in an agriculture-related occupation. Nevertheless, around 1.4 million hectares of land support the economy with fruit, vegetable, livestock, and timber production.

Rural landscapes, with fertile and well-watered soil, permit the growth of a variety of crops and livestock in Belgium. Cereals, potatoes, sugar beets, industrial crops, fresh vegetables and fruits, flowers and ornamental plants, and fodder roots flourish on a little less than 43,000 farmsteads among the nearly 866,000 hectares of arable land. Livestock, such as cattle, pigs, chickens, and lambs also feature on the countryside of provinces. The animal population ranges from around 12 million pigs and 3.4 million cattle to roughly 155,000 sheep and 43,000 horses.

The dairy industry plays a significant role in revenue for farmers as well by producing a little less than 3.2 million tons of milk and 175,000 tons of butter. Importation of fish and timber products far exceed exportation numbers; however, the industries still hold merit by delivering about $193 million worth of fish and $991 million of softwood and plywood to countries like the United States.

Sharing borders with France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Germany, Belgium consists of 30,528 square kilometers of land and water. Sandy dunes and polders reside along the coastal plains. A smooth, slowly rising landscape lies further inland, and thickly forested hills with rocky caves occupy the terrain, as well. The maritime temperate climate grants the country a significant amount of precipitation in every season. Low temperatures tumble in January to three degrees Celsius, while summers peak in July often hitting 18 degrees Celsius. Southern portions of the country, specifically in the Kempen, maintain poor quality soil with landscape comprised of conifer woods, ponds, heathlands, marshes, and corn fields. Extensive fields and pastures reside throughout central Belgium due to the fertile loam. And in upper regions of the land, rich clay soil often used for grazing and cattle rearing allowing for growing agricultural operations in both private and commercial livestock raising.

Despite a dwindling number of true farmers in the European country, fruit and crop picking allows members of the community an opportunity to partake in seasonal and year-round employment. Payment depends greatly on the quantity of picked produce, the length of time, and the quality of goods. The Young Farmers Club International Farm Experience Programme places volunteers in three- to 12-month agricultural-related projects. Migrant workers likely find jobs by traveling from place to place and requesting the attention of farm owners. Prepared with detailed resumes, the ideal candidate demonstrates passion for the farming industry along with previous experience and a superior set of related skills. On average, salary packages begin at €1,400 a month for individuals over the age of 21. Select employment benefits may also grant eligible workers with health insurance, retirement schemes, and holidays.