Foreign workers vital to our economy, says MP
MP Helen Whately has recruited some top level help in her campaign to allow overseas workers temporary permission to stay in the UK to help plug a shortfall of fruit pickers.
Mrs Whately took Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom to meet farmers in Sutton Valence to hear about recruitment problems.
As chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fruit and Vegetable Farmers, the Faversham and Mid Kent MP hopes to persuade the government to allow temporary work permits.
The horticulture industry needs thousands of seasonal workers every year to pick and pack produce but with low unemployment locally, farmers are reliant on workers from overseas – mainly the EU.
Many have already seen a fall in the number of applications and are anticipating bigger recruitment challenges after Brexit.
The two politicians visited WB Chambers and Son. After a tour of the fruit-packing facilities, they were joined by a dozen local farmers for a meeting, with the discussion focusing on concerns about access to labour, rising costs, the importance of investing in research and development, and getting the right balance on pesticides.
Mrs Whately said: “Agriculture is crucial for Kent.
“Our famous fruit and hop farms shape the local countryside and make it the Garden of England that we love.
“Farmers make a vital contribution to the local economy but farming is also crucial to other local industries like tourism.
“Our glorious countryside is part of the experience of visiting Kent, and it’s farmers who do the lion’s share of looking after the landscape.”
Mrs Whately said the Secretary of State left in no doubt about the importance of a seasonal workers scheme.
“Now we are expecting a general election, I will be pressing for a seasonal workers permit scheme to be included in the new manifesto,” she added.
Mrs Leadsom said: “As we set about designing our future agriculture policies, it was useful to hear Helen’s perspective, and that of the representatives of our world-class horticulture sector.”