NFUS urges farmers to respond to survey on role of migrant labour

NFU Scotland (NFUS) has issued a plea for more farmers’ views on the role of migrant labour in the Scottish food and farming sectors.

The union has extended the deadline for responses to a survey, launched earlier this month, on the importance of permanent and temporary non-uk workers to the sector.

It said the information will be used to help inform its response to a consultation on post-brexit immigration plans by the UK Government’s Migrant Advisory Committee (MAC).

The consultation is looking at salary thresholds and how a points-based immigration system, such as the type used in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, could be applied in the UK context.

“We are absolutely convinced that without non-uk workers, many farm-based businesses and the agri-food supply chain will be unproductive and unable to deliver food from farm gate to the plate for UK consumers,” said NFUS president, Andrew Mccornick.

“Facts and figures will back up our lobbying effort on this and I urge anyone affected to complete this short survey ahead of submitting our response to the most recent MAC consultation, which closes on November 5.”

Mr Mccornick said the union had always been clear that the MAC’S previous proposals for all permanent staff coming into the UK to be working in a job that pays upwards of £30,000 was unworkable.

“I am pleased that this is now open to review, but NFUS must be in a position to feed in the strongest possible evidence to ensure that any wage or skill thresholds that are applied within the UK Government’s new immigration system genuinely meets the needs of the Scottish agri-food labour market,” added Mr Mccornick.

The survey, which closes on Monday October 7, is available online at surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ Nfusnonuklabouruse