Together with his relatives, Niyom Sonsang has traveled from Thailand to pick berries, right now blueberries. But access is not as it usually is. They have to struggle hard to get together the pounds to be picked to go plus.

- I need to pay debts, things for the home and the children's schooling. Anyone who is capable and hardworking can earn over 35,000 Swedish kronor, but you have to fight, he says.

Must pick at least 1.5 tonnes

He is one of just under 800 employees in a Thai staffing company, which in turn sells berry picker services to a carrier in Söderhamn. Before he gets any money, he has to work on the costs of travel and living in Sweden. To reach that sum of about SEK 35,000, he has to pick 1.5 tonnes of blueberries. What he picks above that he gains himself.

- I don't know how it's going to go. Everything hangs on the berry. If you pick a lot, you earn a lot, he says.

Great competition

Last year he made a profit of SEK 50,000. But now he is worried about how things are going. Since there has been extremely little berries in the north and the rumor has gone that they are on the coast of the Hälsinga, many have applied here. Niyom says that they have been hundreds of Thais in the same area and great competition for the berries.

- You have to accept the situation. I'm fine. We'll see if it gets a lot or a little, but I don't go back, he says.