Farming career’s image problem

The poor image of farming as a career – associations with low pay, long hours, poor work-life balance, bad conditions, lack of progression, heavy physical labour and unskilled work – needs to be reformed, experts have said.

And the farming sector has been slow to realise the urgency of the challenge to recruit and train staff, says a new report.

In addition, government, agencies and education professionals have not responded to or recognised the massive contribution the farming sector plays in food security, climate change, biodiversity, tourism and rural communities.

The study carried out by the University of Exeter was commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Farmers (WCF) and concluded that farms need to become more competitive and attractive as places to work and the industry needs to improve its self-promotion in order to ensure sufficient workforce.

Dr Caroline Nye and Professor Matt Lobley, who drew up the report, also concluded that Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic, fluctuations in the value of the pound, the improvement of the economies of countries in Eastern Europe and new immigration laws are likely to exacerbate labour shortfalls in coming years.

Changes to immigration policy were likely to hit the horticulture, dairy, pigs, eggs and poultry industries hardest, they said..

The report also called for the government to reassess the value on ‘skilled’ and ‘unskilled’ workers in the points-based system and adjusted to prevent the farming industry from being disadvantaged by the new immigration policy.