Westminster must reintroduce a seasonal workers’ scheme

The UK government must commit to having a new seasonal workers’ scheme up and running for 2018 – or run the risk of undermining the huge leaps forward taken by the country’s horticultural sector.

That was the message from NFU Scotland after a survey of soft fruit and vegetable producers showed that the shortage of migrant labour was of concern to all producers in the sector.

The survey, which was revealed at the union’s annual conference, also highlighted the fact that a shortfall in seasonal workers of between 10 and 15 per cent last year had seen crops left unharvested in the field last year.

More than 30 specialist growers responded to the survey, accounting for the vast bulk of soft fruit and vegetables grown in Scotland.

Speaking in Glasgow, the union’s political affairs manager Clare Slipper, who organised the survey said: “Scotland’s soft fruit and veg sectors are a huge success story, recording year on year growth and generating more than £300 million in income – 10 per cent of Scottish farm production – but there is a barely a punnet of strawberries or a head of broccoli that isn’t picked by nonuk workers.

“Scotland’s innovative and dynamic horticultural industry saw a shortfall in seasonal workers of between 10 and 15 per cent last year and our survey of the sector, which finished on Monday, shows how deep the worry is.

“Every one of the 32 specialist growers who responded are concerned or very concerned about labour shortages this year, three-quarters of them expect the situation to have got worse when compared to 2018 and almost two-thirds are considering downsizing their business as a result.”

Slipper concluded: “NFUS believes the UK government must commit to a new seasonal workers’ scheme for 2018 or it runs the risk of undermining the huge leaps forward that our horticultural sector has made.”