Farmer union reports massive food wastage
MORE than £60 million worth of food went to waste in Britain in the first half of the year for want of people to pick it, the National Farmers’ Union said on Monday (15).
“It’s nothing short of a travesty that quality, nutritious food is being wasted at a time when families in the country are struggling to make ends meet because of soaring living costs,” said NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw.
According to a union study of farmers, 40 per cent complained they had suffered losses owing to a shortage of pickers with some £22 million worth of fruit and vegetables alone lost from January to June.
Those questioned said they needed recruitment to rise around 14 per cent and added 17 per cent of pickers failed to turn up for work, while a further nine per cent left before their contracts expired.
Brexit has contributed to the shortage by making it more difficult for farms to employ workers from EU member states, with freedom of movement ended following the Brexit.
Ukrainians had temporarily partly filled the gap, but since the Russian invasion of their country in February many have been stuck in their homeland.
To overcome the shortages, Britain has had to cast its net far further afield to recruit from countries including Indonesia, the Philippines and Uzbekistan as well as South Africa.
The union says expanding Britain’s Seasonal Workers Scheme is vital to ensure the country does not see a repeat of what Bradshaw called this year’s “devastating level of food waste next year”. To counter the problem the NFU wants to see the visa scheme expanded to permit a minimum five-year rolling scheme.