Category: News

The Government needs to provide much more detail on its post-Brexit farming policy if its twin aims of increasing farm competitiveness and enhancing the environment are to be met, according to a new report published this week by the parliamentary Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Committee. The report, The Future for Food, Farming & the Environment, is the committee’s response to the Government’s Health & Harmony consultation and calls on the Government to ring-fence funding for farming post-Brexit.

The committee’s chair, Neil Parish MP, says: “The Government should consider new support mechanisms, ensure that trade agreements demand that imported products meet our standards and avoid a regulatory race to the bottom.” He adds that without more clarity on funding, delivery and timing, the Government “risks not achieving its ambition and damaging the sector”.

In preparing its report, the committee took oral evidence from six panels of witnesses and written evidence from 39 organisations, as well as questioning farming minister George Eustice. It has already addressed the issues of farm labour and food trade separately.

The committee complains that “witnesses could not speculate on the precise effects of the withdrawal of direct payments, but were clear that the effect would be quite large”, adding: “We had hoped that Defra’s consultation would have used a comprehensive sectoral assessment of the impact of withdrawing direct payments to help design its new agricultural policy.”

On this, Eustice said simply: “We have a manifesto commitment to maintain funding at the current level until 2022, and a manifesto commitment thereafter to roll out a new type of agriculture policy, focused on the delivery of public goods.”

Several witnesses have warned of the dangers of a lack of continuity in farm support during this switch over, while the NFU says of current environmental schemes: “We have to see them through the next few years. We cannot just cut them off. There are five- to 10-year contractual agreements.”

Attractive schemes

NFU deputy president Guy Smith adds: “It is imperative that the agri-environment schemes going forward are attractive to farmers, not just financially but also in terms of faff, paperwork, clarity or confidence in them.” Describing current greening measures under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as “hopelessly bureaucratic and very dysfunctional”, Eustice says: “As we design a new scheme, we are going to move away from that type of approach and focus on the delivery of outcomes.”

But the committee warns: “Defra has a huge task to ensure a lead agency and national framework are in place to start delivering its policy based on public goods.”

On alternative means of future farm support, the committee’s report urges the Government to “produce a farm productivity plan by May 2019 that investigates new tax breaks, advice centres, capital grant support and the successor to the agri-tech fund”.

It also calls on the Government to “ensure that trade agreements always prevent agri-food products that do not meet our environmental, animal welfare and food standards from entering the country”.

The report also says Defra’s consultation paper “has failed to consider wider food policy with public impact such as reducing diet-related diseases”, adding that the Government “should support healthy food in payment models to farming and bring forward changes to Government buying standards and ensure use of healthy, affordable and British food in Government procurement”.

Professor Tim Lang from the Centre for Food Policy at City, University of London told the committee this absence marked “a total failure of this paper”, adding: “We are not producing apples and pears, and horticulture that we need for public health reasons. We need a huge investment in colleges, infrastructural support and research to encourage a completely new and revitalised British horticulture industry.”

Similarly, Vicki Hird, policy co-ordinator at food and farming pressure group Sustain, argues: “We can repair that harm that the CAP did by investing and helping farmers to convert to top fruits, to other types of field vegetables, etc. That would diversify production and provide the 30 million new portions of fruit and veg that we need to deliver the seven-a-day we need to be eating.”

Several others also argue that the provision of healthy, safe and affordable food is a “public good” and should be funded as such, though the committee notes: “Subsidising food production is strictly constrained by World Trade Organization rules.”

Eustice argues: “The right thing to do is to reward farmers from the public purse for the public goods they deliver and to expect the market to pay a fair price for food, which reflects the cost of production — rather than tax the consumers, give a subsidy to farmers and then have food at an undervalue.”

Productivity

 
AHDB chief strategy officer Tom Hind warns that increasing farm productivity is “absolutely critical” to delivering the Government’s aims, adding: “The average rate of productivity growth in UK agriculture and horticulture over the last 10-15 years is about 0.9% a year, whereas in the Netherlands it is around 3.9% a year.”

The AHDB also argues for a “one-stop shop for evidence, advice and knowledge that is independently and objectively verified”. Heeding this, the committee is calling for “a farm productivity plan by May 2019 at the latest” to help boost uptake of new technologies on farms, devise new tax breaks to assist farmers to invest in technology and to improve rural mobile and digital infrastructure.

It concludes with a warning: “Without clarity on funding, timing and delivery of the future agricultural policy, there is a risk that Defra’s welcome ambitions will not be met.”

Viewpoint: Chris Rose, commercial controller, Asplins producer organisation

We do not yet have a guarantee that the EU Fruit & Veg Scheme (FVS) will be continued or replicated post 31 March 2019. UK fruit and veg producers would survive without the FVS, as evidenced by the fact that many producers are not in POs [producer organisations]. However, smaller businesses would fail and only the largest businesses with multinational production and in-house marketing capability would prosper. UK growers would also be at a disadvantage compared with EU growers, who predominantly are in POs. Reducing diet-related illness and premature death is a public good, and increasing vegetable and fruit consumption is critical to achieving that public good. Fruit and veg should represent 40% of our diet and yet fruit and veg growers only receive 1% of current Government funding on farming. All producers who produce in an efficient, sustainable and environmentally sound manner should be eligible for support.

To read the original article, click here: https://goo.gl/LB17H1

Alex attended Spiru Haret University in Bucharest, studying Marketing and Economical Business with a focus on Marketing Management.

From there Alex moved into the world of irrigation, becoming Assistant then Irrigation Manager for Groves Farm, part of the Hall Hunter Partnership. His role saw him take responsibility of the:

• Watering and Feeding of the Crops
• Data Collection
• Lead and soil analysis
• Irrigation system construction & dismantling
• Irrigation system design, pipe sizing, selecting correct drippers and sprinklers

The seven years as an Irrigation foreman played a critical part in growing a successful crop, year upon year. Alex states that:

Good irrigation and attention to detail, results in quality fruit that is easy to pick and higher in yield, resulting in increased income for both company and pickers.

Alex moved onto being Assistant Crop Manager taking up responsibility of the health and well being of the crops on site. His main tasks involved:

• Organising Irrigation and Fertilisation
• Site Health & Safety
• Tunnels & Climate control
• Control of Pest’s & Diseases
• Plant Husbandry
• Site Labour Organisation

His time at Grove Farm means he understands what it takes for a farm to be successful, what problems may occur and how best to solve them. Making him a reliable port of call for our customers.

To contact Alex:
Phone – 07741 654 562
Email – alex@rippleaquaplast.co.uk

When the HTA’s Scottish Action Plan was published in March, it was hailed as a great success for the HTA’s action group which distilled complex and various industry needs into 10 simple asks to the Scottish Government.

The 20-page plan, produced over a number of years by the 28 member organisations, was delivered to each of the 129 MSPs sitting at Holyrood. It focuses on five key areas where horticulture has a significant role to play — education, health/well-being, environment, economy and tourism.

Now the real hard work starts, with the action group splitting into smaller task groups to, it is hoped, work with the Government on progressing the ideas. According to HTA regional business manager and horticulture panel chair Neil Cummings, there have already been positive noises from Holyrood.

Roseanna Cunningham, SNP MSP for Perthshire South & Kinross-shire, has written “an incredibly supportive letter”, he says.

“She is saying she is more than happy to work with the horticulture action group on our 10 asks of Government.
It’s important for us to have a person in the Scottish Parliament who can help us. The problem we’ve had is we’ve had so many different touchpoints, which will have different ministers, different people, different civil servants and teams. Roseanna Cunningham seemed to be saying her team will help us speak to other groups.”

The group was also due to meet with SNP MSPs Annabelle Ewing (Cowdenbeath) and Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale), the deputy presiding officer at Holyrood, to present the plan to the Scottish Parliament.

The HTA will be leading on the asks that could make an immediate impact in the industry:

• Reducing business rates and VAT for horticultural organisations whose work promotes the objectives of the Scottish Government regarding the environment, health and well-being.
• Creating fiscal incentives for nursery expansion to increase capacity to produce more Scottish-grown plants.
• Working in partnership with the Scottish Government on long-term efforts to enable more Scottish growers to win tenders for large Government procurement projects.

VAT Reduction

The action plan calls for a VAT reduction on all plants, not just those that can be considered food. Cummings says plants in general are “a natural health service” and should all be VAT-free because of the benefits they bring to the environment and the people’s health.

“If we could get Scots to buy more plants and get out gardening, that would have a massive impact on medication and physical health. One small practical change like that could have a knock-on effect.

Similarly, financial incentives for amenity nurseries in Scotland would benefit both businesses and the country as a whole, adds Cummings. The Scottish Government is spending millions on a number of large infrastructure projects, all of which need some aspect of landscaping and planting. But growing in Scotland has declined massively. Because of this, few growers have the capacity to tender for a full contract. This is why the group wants to work with the Government to find ways for Scottish growers to get the work.

One way to do this would be to open up procurement to part tender, as a halfway house situation to enable more Scottish nurseries to get involved in a large procurement project. Another, laid down as an ask in the document, is some kind of online marketplace where Scottish growers can be chosen to fulfil parts of a larger contract.

“There are massive benefits of that,” says Cummings. “Plants are grown in Scotland, which ensures biosecurity. We’re keeping our expertise in horticulture. There are more opportunities for jobs and apprenticeships. Plant health and plant health assurance, these are things that come up time and time again.”

Tendering Rules

Currently, the Scottish Government is constrained by EU tendering rules, which do not allow protectionism of any single part of the EU when it comes to procurement. But Cummings says there are “ways and means” of writing tenders so they benefit local growers — for example, by specifying plants grown within a certain radius for the purpose of acclimatisation and biosecurity. After Brexit, this will be easier, she adds.

The A9 project between Perth and Inverness is a good example of a very long-term project where there is enough time for Scottish growers to grow from seed, if industry and Government work closer together, she maintains.

The Queens Great Crossing is another. “There is an opportunity to work with growers over a long period of time so they are able to facilitate what’s required of them with Government. That’s where the action plan will come in. The Irish Government offers interest-free loans for business development and tax relief. That’s where we think we should start.”

More growing means that more young people will need to choose horticulture as a career, so the group has a long-term vision for integrating horticulture into the consciousness and lives of generations to come. They believe that education is the bedrock of a strong future for Scottish horticulture.

“We felt that the first thing to do is get the Scottish Government to get all children to become more interested. It should be part of STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] education. That’s happening but it isn’t standard practice. There’s that knock-on effect — more children interested in where their food comes from. We are keen to provide mentors, ambassadors and teaching packs. We think that is the way to state this to get Government to understand how important that could be.”

To read the original article, click here: https://goo.gl/NT1JBh

Calls for seasonal workers scheme intensify as labour shortages near 30%

NFU surveys have shown labour shortfalls reached 29% in September 2017 as a Parliamentary committee’s recommendation has intensified pressure on the Government to launch a new seasonal workers scheme.

NFU’s Amy Gray said labour surveys of labour providers showed shortfalls of 12-29% between May and November, with up to 3,000 spaces for workers at any one time. These numbers have doubled since surveys began in 2014, when the old SAWS scheme ended.

She said returnee rates were 28% on average against 41% in 2016. Non-arrivals doubled to 8% and early leavers increased to 15%.

The NFU says Government action must be taken by May 2018 to prevent shortfalls this year. This should be a SAWS scheme for non-EU workers to top up.

This week, the Home Affairs Select Committee recommended a new SAWS scheme for seasonal workers.

Arguing for such a scheme, the Immigration policy: basis for building consensus report says: “There is already evidence that access to UK and EEA labour markets is insufficient to meet current demand.” The report is also critical of the government’s handling of the migration debate since the Brexit referendum in June 2016, saying: “We do not understand why it took the Government more than 12 months from the referendum” to ask the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC to provide data and advice on the role of EU nationals in the UK economy – or why it did not collect such data “as a matter of routine”.

As a consequence, “when the Government begins negotiations on the UK’s future relationship with the EU, it will do so without knowing what it wants the UK’s future immigration arrangements with the EU to be or what the economy needs,” it says.

The MAC is not due to report until September this year – “many months after the UK’s negotiations with the EU on the precise terms of their future immigration relationship are expected to have begun”, it points out.

The Parliamentary EFRA Committee made a similar recommendation in 2017.

Concordia’s Sam Zubaidi said requests from growers were up 10% but supply of overseas workers was down.

Available workers spoke less English and were older and from more rural areas. He said pay was 200-300 euros less a month because of devaluation of sterling since the Brexit vote in 2016. There is also a feeling among workers that they are less welcome, he added.

To read the full original article, click here: https://goo.gl/DB1Fhf

The four UK farming unions said the right government policy could make British agriculture more productive and progressive

British farms “can become more profitable” following Brexit according to the four farming unions, but only “with the right policy”.

Presidents Barclay Bell, of Ulster Farmers’ Union, Minette Batters, National Farmers Union, Andrew McCornick, NFU Scotland and John Davies, of NFU Cymru urged the government to “herald a revolution” following the UK’s departure from the European Union.

The statement comes as the UK moves to the next phase of Brexit negotiations following the sign-off on the framework for a future relationship between the UK and EU.

In a joint statement from the four presidents, they affirmed the need for “frictionless” access to European markets, stating new trade deals must not undermine British producers. “A well-managed Brexit must herald an agricultural revolution. Enabling UK farmers to continue to deliver high quality, safe, affordable and responsibly produced food for all UK consumers, whatever their income. Our farming and food sector has some of the best standards of food safety, animal welfare and trace-ability in the world. Brexit should celebrate these standards and new third country trade agreements must not undermine them,” they said.

“While we are leaving the political union, we must retain frictionless access to European markets.

“With the right policy Britain’s farms can be more profitable, productive and progressive,” they concluded.

For the full original article, click here: https://goo.gl/hzt1Mz

Scottish Horticulture Action Plan impresses politicians

The Action Plan was presented at Holyrood in Edinburgh on 29 March and presents ways that Scottish horticulture can support education, health and well-being, the environment, the economy and tourism.

Neil Cummings, business manager for the HTA and chairman of the horticulture panel which represents 28 organisations and businesses across Scotland, said there was lots of support from MSPs including representatives from Scottish Government on the day, plus great speeches from sponsor Christine Grahame MSP, who is also deputy presiding officer at Holyrood, HTA horticulture head Raoul Curtis-Machin and Ben Reid Garden Centre’s Simon Fraser.

The Scottish Horticultural Action Plan, highlighting the contribution of parks and gardens to the wider Scottish economy, sets out 10 asks of Scottish Government and pledges to support them in achieving these asks. The Plan focuses on 5 key areas where horticulture has a significant role to play. These are Education, Health/Well-Being, Environment, Economy and Tourism.

By 2022, the aim is to:

• Ensure all school children have the opportunity to grow plants and garden, in order to learn more about the environment and understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle;
• Develop an attractive web portal for careers promotion, nurturing our skills pipeline alongside other land-based career options;
• Increase our economic contribution by half a million pounds and create 300 new jobs;
• Develop proven low-cost horticulture-based solutions to treating mental health and other health challenges;
• Ensure more Scottish-grown trees and plants are used in public procurement projects by engaging sooner in the process;
• Support communities to create community gardens in areas where they do not currently exist;
• Hosting a National Gardening Week to promote garden tourism in Scotland.

Cummings added: ‘‘It has been such a long journey but finally today after years of discussions, debates and changes the Scottish Horticulture Action Plan has now been launched.”

David Knott, Curator of Living Collections, at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, said: “This Horticultural Action Plan highlights the significant contribution parks and gardens make to the wider Scottish economy and also recognises the wider benefits of plants to the environment and our education, health and well-being in Scotland.”

A copy of the action plan has been hand-delivered to each of the 129 MSPs at Holyrood.

Cummings said “It has been incredibly hard work to bring such diverse organisations together to deliver a document that promotes all areas of Horticulture, but it is one we are all very proud of. However, the real work starts here. The panel will now go forward to work in partnership with Scottish Government to deliver the many asks and pledges. Together we will help to move Horticulture to the forefront.”

Read the full original article here: https://goo.gl/CDpyQf

Protect small farms in Agriculture Bill, farming alliance says

An informal alliance of farming and environmental groups has called on the Government to give specific protection to small and medium sized farms in its upcoming Agriculture Bill.

The coalition, which includes the Tenant Farmers’ Association, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), Friends of the Earth, the Landworkers’ Alliance and Sustain, said having a range of farm sizes and types is vital for a thriving rural sector.

Research from CPRE shows 128,000 farms in England and Wales were lost between 1950 and 1980, and a further 21.3 per cent of farms closed in the decade between 2005 and 2015. Farms under 200 hectares suffered the worst decline.

England specifically has lost 48 per cent of its farms, more than any other EU country.

The alliance claims this loss of farm diversity threatens landscapes, rural jobs, cohesion and habitats.

Vicki Hird, farm campaign co-ordinator at Sustain, said: “With the future so uncertain, farms are an endangered species.

“As we exit the EU and start to make our own decisions about how to support farmers, the Government has a chance to end the unfettered rewards for large landowners and instead distribute payments more fairly across the farming system, giving small farmers the support they so desperately need. “We all understand the principle of needing to help young people on to the housing ladder. The same principle applies with our farmers.”

While the coalition recognises farms need to expand or shrink over time, it hopes to challenge the ‘continued, harmful concentration’ of tenure and ownership across the industry.

Affordable

 As well as a more even redistribution of future support, the group is calling for accessible grants and low/no interest loans for small and medium sized farms, as well as affordable training, mentoring and advice.

TFA chief executive George Dunn said: “It is vital to have a structure within the farming industry which encourages progression.

“This means having small, medium and large farms and a well-functioning landlord tenant system underpinning occupation, investment and resilience.

“A key focus to achieve this must be to look at reform of the taxation system which underpins land ownership and occupation.”

To read the full original article, click here: https://goo.gl/7e6nuP

Introduction

When designing a valve control system for an irrigation project one major concern can be the implementation and installation of a low voltage wired system. Distances are limited and underground cables are prone to physical and mechanical damage. Long trenches can be time consuming and costly to install.

The SRI RTU has been developed using the latest mobile phone technologies. This ensures proven communication between the main controller and the field SRI unit. If the communication route fails or is broken then a different route will be taken and a signal returned to the main controller.

The units work on a line of site communication link of up to 4km between each SRI but each SRI controller becomes a repeater which allows the network to work around intensely topographical challenges. The simple addition of repeaters allows communications through physical barriers such as tree lines or buildings.

The SRI units allow a large variety of infield sensors which can be located within each valve set. This may include moisture, EC, volume, temperature and humidity. Local radiation sensors can also be installed and directly influence the local valve sequences. This modular system provides reliable and consistent results which allow integration with the PLC – Spirit Pro Controller and Greenline HMI software

Overview

The SRI is a sophisticated field unit for operating of 1 to 12 DC latch solenoids. The SRI can read various sensors digital and analogue inputs (4-20mA). The SRI RF capability enables reliable, low energy, long distance communication with the main system controller by using state of the art Mesh Communication. The SRI is powered from miniature integrated solar panel and rechargeable battery.

Features

• Up to 12 latch or 3 wires solenoid outputs
• Solenoid fault detection by unique solenoid analysis algorithm
• Up to 10 digital inputs 4 analogue inputs
• Long battery life without solar charging & optional standards alkaline D size
• Worldwide unlicensed ISM bands
• Ultra-low power consumption
• Long range transmitting distance
• Self-network registration
• Any RTU can function as repeater without any configuration or registration
• For increasing range and overcoming surface obstacles economical radio repeaters are available.

Michael Gove refused to announce a seasonal worker scheme at the NFU conference today, in the face of mounting pressure from farmers who face a labour shortage.

In front of an industry desperate for clarity on their future, the closest the Defra secretary of state came to an answer was the promise of a releasing a consultation paper “shortly”.

In his speech Gove recognised the plight of farmers struggling to recruit seasonal workers to pick and harvest fruit and vegetables, despite repeated interrogation from the audience and journalists. “Farming currently depends on access to labour from abroad – both seasonal and more permanent,” Gove said.

It’s already the case that the supply of labour from EU27 countries is diminishing as their economies recover and grow. So, in the future, we will need to look further afield. And think more creatively. We understand, however, that you need to see action quickly. Not least to deal with imminent pressures. The NFU has put forward strong and compelling arguments for a Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme and I fully acknowledge your concerns. In addition, the Government’s Migration Advisory Committee are reviewing the shape of immigration policy after we’re free of EU constraints. I’ve explained to them that we will need continued access to skilled labour if we’re to keep our framing sector productive and profitable.

When pressed for detail on a future scheme by NFU horticulture chairman Ali Capper, who described the situation as “mission critical”, Gove said he was consulting Home Secretary Amber Rudd. “I understand that for growers it’s mission critical,” Gove said. “Across the UK the demand for clarity on labour is powerful. “Sometimes there are organisations when they mount a campaign to have a tendency to exaggerate. I know that’s not the case here, the arguments have been heard. I hope you can see more shortly.”

Gove later told journalists he wasn’t “embarrassed” by a lack of strategy in the face of press questioning. “There was quite a lot of detail, and there’s more to follow,” he said. “The lead department on migration is the Home Office and they will decide on this. The government is a collective endeavour and I’m bound by collective responsibility.”

Labour and Co-Operative MP David Drew said the government’s lack of clarity on seasonal workers is “unacceptable”. Drew said: “We have got to put something in place, if not for this year, it’s already too late, but for next year.” Gove’s speech turned out to be little more than an appetiser for an incoming report, which he announced would be released “shortly” and would reveal policy direction. “Our consultation paper will outline how we plan to change things more broadly,” he said. “The paper will outline a clear direction of travel on how we can better deliver support. But it is a consultation not a conclusion.”

He echoed PM Theresa May in support of a tariff free trade deal with EU going forward, dismissing talks of tailbacks and chaos in the event of a no deal Brexit as “scare stories”. “With countries like France, Netherlands and Republic of Ireland, their access to tariff free UK matters even more to them than it does to us to ensure frictionless trade, he said. “We’re not going to try to undercut them to secure a competitive advantage by deregulating. We are in a strong position to secure a good deal. Of course there will be speculation and scare stories, but we believe it is good to get a frictionless, tariff free deal with as few barriers as possible.”

Gove also told farmers that he would be looking to reforming farming subsidies after leaving the EU, calling them “unwieldy and counter-productive”.

Leaving the EU also means – critically – reforming the current system of subsidy for farming and food production. As we all know it doesn’t work for producers or consumers anywhere in the UK. Nor indeed does it deliver sustainability for the long term. Paying people simply according to the size of their landholding drives up the cost of land, which ties up capital unproductively and acts as a barrier to entry to new talent, impeding innovation and holding back productivity growth.

In some of his clearest statements, Gove suggested they would be rolling out more high speed broadband in rural areas, as well as simplifying the farm inspection process.

Despite several recent attempts at simplification, remains as unwieldy as ever. Every year, farmers are confronted by a barrage of inspections from different agencies, often duplicating costs in both time and money, I am delighted to announce that Dame Glenys Stacey will be conducting a thorough and comprehensive review of this regime, seeing how these inspections can be removed, reduced or improved to reduce the burden on farmers, while maintaining and enhancing our animal and plant health standards.

To read the original artcile, click here: https://goo.gl/NqUbK2

UK Horticulture already suffering from Brexit

Britain’s horticulture farms suffered a 12.5% shortfall in seasonal workers in 2017 as numbers coming from continental Europe fell, it has been revealed.

The first full year following the Brexit referendum was the first time since the National Farmers Union began compiling figures in 2014 that growers were unable to recruit sufficient workers. Opponents of Brexit said the figures proved that the government’s position on EU withdrawal had resulted in fruit and vegetables being left to rot for lack of workers to pick them.

The NFU’s labour survey for December 2017 showed:

• A shortfall of 15.6% in the number of seasonal workers in the horticultural sector that month, bringing the average over the course of the year to 12.5%.
• The worst month was September, when growers reported a 29.3% shortage at a time when many crops are being harvested.
• Over the course of the year 30,585 out of 34,962 seasonal vacancies were filled.
• Almost 67% of seasonal workers were from Romania and Bulgaria, with 32%  from eight other EU countries in eastern and central Europe.
• Fewer than 1% of the seasonal workers carrying out jobs such as fruit-picking were UK nationals – 169 individuals in the survey.

NFU deputy president Minette Batters said: “It is clear that solutions are still needed to ensure that farmers and growers have access to sufficient numbers of workers for both forthcoming seasons and post-Brexit. Access to both seasonal and permanent workers is crucial across all farming sectors, and they are incredibly important to ensuring farmers can continue producing food to feed the nation.”

Solution

“The NFU’s survey of labour providers shows that the availability of workers continues to tighten, and I would urge government to find a solution for the whole industry that ensures it has access to the people it needs.”

Green MP Caroline Lucas, a leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign for close ties with the EU, said: “The government’s zealotry on Brexit and immigration is leading to a crisis in the British fruit industry. Fruit and veg is literally being left to rot in the fields because workers from the EU are increasingly unwilling to work here thanks to Brexit.”

She said the “minuscule” proportion of seasonal farm workers being recruited in the UK showed that it was “wishful thinking” to believe that local employees could fill the gap left by absent EU nationals.

To read the original article, click here: https://goo.gl/swgiVm