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National Farmers Union warns of post-Brexit labour shortages British strawberries could be wiped out by Brexit, farming leaders warn
(about 1 hour later)
Fruit and vegetable farms could go out of business because of labour shortages when Britain leaves the EU, agriculture leaders have warned. Strawberries and cream, the quintessentially British dessert synonymous with traditional summer events such as Wimbledon and Glyndebourne, could be wiped out by Brexit, farming leaders have warned.
The National Farmers Union has said the £3bn industry relies heavily on workers from Europe and crops could go unharvested if free movement of labourers is restricted as a result of Brexit. Suppliers of native crops – including cucumbers, apples, raspberries and blackberries – could go out of business because of potential bans on EU migrant workers.
Ali Capper, the NFU’s horticulture board chairwoman, has called for a meeting with the Brexit minister, David Davis, to discuss the revival of a special visa system for EU migrants working on farms. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is seeking an urgent meeting with the Brexit minister, David Davis, to discuss special measures for migrant seasonal workers while the industry body British Summer Fruits (BSF) has warned that unless the government finds a way to keep migrants growers will sell up and move to France or elsewhere in the EU.
A shortage of migrant workers in 2007-08 resulted in crops being unharvested and left to rot, jeopardising the businesses of suppliers to supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. The £1.2bn industry relies virtually 100% on workers from Europe because British workers “do not want to get up at 6am and work on their hands and knees all day”, said Laurence Olins, chairman of BSF.
Capper says a repeat of this is a real threat. “It would be a total disaster if British strawberries and other berries disappeared but that is what is at stake,” Olins said.
Previously, a government seasonal agricultural workers scheme (Saws) allowed Romanians and Bulgarians to work on farms for up to six months at a time, but this expired following the two countries’ full access to the EU. Ali Capper, the NFU’s horticulture board chairwoman, has asked for an urgent meeting with Davis, to discuss a special visa system for foreign migrants working on farms.
Now Capper wants Davis to revisit such a scheme, which she believes could resolve similar issues for other business too, such as those in the hospitality sector. A shortage of migrant workers in 2007-08 resulted in crops being unharvested, jeopardising the businesses of suppliers to supermarkets, hotels and restaurants.
In a letter to Davis, Capper said labour shortages were “an immediate challenge” as there had been “increasing difficulty” recruiting British workers to farms, whether it was during the harvest season or for permanent positions. “I don’t think this time we will see crops left to rot. Farmers will make a decision not to grow them or to move,” said Capper.
“Non-UK workers are vital to my business and my industry,” she wrote, telling Davis that farmers can plan their crops up to 10 years in advance. Previously, a government seasonal agricultural workers scheme (Saws) allowed Romanian and Bulgarian migrants to work on farms for up to six months at a time, but this expired following the two countries’ full access to the EU.
She pointed out that while huge technical advances have been made in farming, fruits such as strawberries and raspberries still require hand picking for high-quality, grade 1 fresh produce. In a letter to Davis, Capper said labour shortages were an immediate challenge as there had been increasing difficulty recruiting British workers to farms, whether it was during the harvest season or for permanent positions.
Speaking at the Fruit Focus trade event in East Malling, Kent, Capper said: “What is also clear is that we are not just talking about access to seasonal labour – some sectors and businesses are currently reliant on non-UK workers in full-time rolesyear-round.” “Non-UK workers are vital to my business and my industry,” Capper wrote, telling Davis that farmers can plan their crops up to 10 years in advance.
Rob Orme, chief executive of Concordia, a charity that recruits EU migrants workers for the sector, said the domestic labour force was not attracted to harvest work partly because it was rural, partly because it was largely temporary work and partly because it was “hard physical work”. An apple farmer herself, Capper said she is currently planning on taking out one of her orchards next year and replenishing it with new tree stock but can’t do that unless she is absolutely confident they can get the workers to pick the fruit.
An estimated 30,000 EU migrants come to Britain every year for the harvest season, with 7,000 of those recruited through Concordia. “Farmers plan three to five to 10 years in advance; they are planning ordering plants now for 2017 and beyond and can’t do that unless there is certainty,” she said.
“There is an absolute requirement that the government has some sort of solution in place for seasonal work. It’s not just horticulture, it’s the care sector, hospitality sector and so many other places that are dependent on migrant workers,” said Orme. It would be a castastrophe if there were no longer British strawberries or apples on the shelf, she said.
Capper said the decision to leave the European Union had created a huge amount of uncertainty about whether the horticultural sector will have access to non-UK workers. Olins said most fruit in supermarkets was foreign 10 or 15 years ago but the industry had made huge strides and now 100% of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries were British between May and October.
They are crucial in picking, grading and packing crops that provide customers with affordable British produce, the NFU says. “We are self-sufficient in fruit. Why would we want to turn the clock back 10 or 15 years. British consumers have demonstrated they want a union jack on their berries. This is a £1.2bn industry. Berries are the most popular fruit in the UK now. We represent 20% of the secto – we are not a minor industry,” said Olins.
He said berry farmers would not switch to potatoes or another crop harvestable by machine but would sell up and move elsewhere in Europe. “They are specialists.”
An estimated 30,000 EU workers come to Britain every year for the harvest season, and this migration is typical of the sector across the world.
“All first world economies employ foreigners to pick, pack and plant fruit. This is not unique. Canada, Australia even Spain employs migrants because their own citizens don’t want to do the work,” said Olins.
“There is an absolute requirement that the government has some sort of solution in place for seasonal work. It’s not just horticulture, it’s the care sector, hospitality sector and so many other places that are dependent on migrant workers,” said Rob Orme, chief executive of Concordia, a charity that recruits EU migrants for the sector.
“We cannot produce affordable food without a workforce that’s happy to handpick in the field or orchard,” she said.