Asparagus grower jailed for human trafficking

Friday 06 July 2012

An asparagus grower has been jailed for three years for human trafficking and exploiting workers on her farm in the Brabant village of Someren.

The appeal court in Den Bosch ruled that the woman, Jose J, had committed such serious offences that the lower court sentence of 2.5 years, six months suspended, should be increased.

The court said J had forced people to work seven days a week, 10 to 14 hours a day and paid them less than the minimum wage. They were unable to leave the farm because J withheld their earnings until the end of the season.

Earnings withheld

The investigation into the woman began three years ago after local mayor Alfred Veltman said conditions on the asparagus farm were akin to slavery. Social affairs ministry inspectors had found 50 people living on the farm in a dirty room without windows.

The investigation involved visits to Romania, Poland and Portugal to talk to witnesses.

Last December, the social affairs ministry dropped a campaign to improve working conditions for asparagus pickers following complaints from growers that it stigmatised the entire industry.

The campaign slogan 'Hollandse asperges, met de romige creme van moderne slavernij' (Dutch asparagus, with a creamy modern slavery sauce) is a generalisation and damaging to the sector, the southern farmers' association ZLTO said.

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