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Abstract The aim of the present study is to analyze working conditions in manual cotton harvesting on small properties, in Catuti region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil by analyzing collectors’ activity in irrigated and rainfed crops, as well as labor relationships between small farmers and pickers. The study followed a qualitative methodological approach based on field footages and systematic observations. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with cotton collectors, public authorities and with cotton farmers' cooperative representatives in Catuti-MG, as well as focus groups with cotton farmers. Labor relationships between cotton farmers and collectors are linked to the region’s socioeconomic aspects. Payment based on production technique is the basis for collectors' wage calculations. This technique, whether based on rainfed or irrigation, has straight influence on work processes and on pickers’ remuneration. These pickers develop strategies to increase their productivity and, consequently, their salary, as well as to protect their health.