Recruiting skilled workers a priority for UK farmers, says study

Fast food giant McDonald’s has pledged to help its 17,500 British farmer suppliers address the challenge of recruiting the right skills and talent.

The company, which serves 3.75 million customers in the UK every day, is one of the biggest customers of UK agriculture.

A study commissioned by the fast-food chain, and conducted by the National Farm Research Unit, asked British farmers about their current outlook on the industry.

Results from Scotland revealed that 89% said recruiting the right skills and talent was key to making UK farming globally competitive, while 57% said they believed emerging technology would impact their business over the next five years, requiring a new set of skills and talent.

More than half – 64% – said attracting talent from outside the industry was a priority, and 14% said they will increase the number of people they recruit from non-farming backgrounds in the next five years.

The survey also delved into the use of technology on Scottish farms.

Almost half of farmers – 48% – said they were looking to use, or are already using, satellite mapping, and 41% said they were interested in or currently using precision farming technology.

McDonald’s said the launch of its Farm Forward Barometer survey coincided with the fifth anniversary of its Farm Forward programme and the expansion of its progressive young farmer training programme.

The scheme encourages young people from all backgrounds to consider a future in agriculture.

It sets out to give students a mix of skills by spending a year working in every part of the McDonald’s supply chain, from farm through to restaurant.