The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Calls for certainty over seasonal staff
Farmers and soft fruit growers are being plunged back into uncertainty over staffing levels for next year’s harvests, with the UK Government still to guarantee a seasonal workers scheme.
A seasonal workers pilot scheme was expanded this year to allow 30,000 overseas nationals into the UK to work for six months but extra contractors were not appointed until late in the season.
Asked to address concerns for next year’s season, the Home Office said the future of the scheme was being “actively considered”. But the department refused to confirm if it will be renewed.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross took concerns to his Tory colleague, Home Secretary Priti Patel. He wants her to simplify any new scheme and to confirm whether the programme will go ahead.
Mr Ross said: “The lack of a guarantee the scheme will continue into next year has led to the sector being unable to plan its workforce for the future.
“The pandemic has further exacerbated issues around the availability of staff. If we want the sector, as with other parts of the UK economy, to reduce its dependence on migrant labour then we need to give them stability around workforce quotas and the
schemes which will be available to them, so they can invest in their production and existing staff.
“There are also parts of the UK farming sector, such as soft fruits, who have a need for migrant labour as automation is not yet a viable option for them.”
He continued: “With this in mind, I would welcome an early announcement if the seasonal workers pilot scheme will continue into next year and if there is work ongoing to make the scheme permanent.”
The Home Office said it was important the country’s farm and agricultural employers made working in the industry more appealing to prospective employees.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We have a highly resilient food supply chain and well-established ways of working with the sector to address supply chain disruptions.
“We understand the importance of seasonal labour in supporting a successful and effective agricultural and food sector. This year we expanded the agricultural seasonal workers pilot to 30,000 visas for workers from across the globe to come to the UK for up to six months.
“However, the pilot is not designed to offset the sector continually.”