Call for action on food sector labour shortages

AFAILURE to tackle workforce shortages will shrink the food sector permanently, a Parliamentary committee has warned.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, chaired by Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish, says there can be no doubt about the seriousness of the issues facing the food and farming sector caused by labour shortages.

In a new report, published today and entitled ‘Labour shortages in the food and farming sector’, MPs conclude that the UK’s largest manufacturing sector faces permanent damage if the Government fails to address the lack of workers due mainly to Covid-19 and Brexit.

Despite the sector flagging significant concerns, the shortage of labour in 2021 took a toll on food security, the welfare of animals and the mental health of those who work in the industry, MPs report. The pig sector was particularly badly affected, with 35,000 pigs being culled due to a lack of butchers to process them.

The report calls on the Secretary of State to use the power of Defra to provide direct support to pig farmers.

The committee was frustrated by the reluctance of government to engage with the industry over labour shortages. Despite attempts by the industry, it said ministers failed to understand the issues, seeking to pass the blame on to the sector, and today’s report urges government to have a radical rethink to prevent future interventions coming too late.

Revised immigration measures could address the current crisis, MPs say. For example, the report calls for a review of the Skilled Workers Visa scheme, including the complexity and costs faced by employers and tailoring the English language requirement to meet the needs of the sector.

While there have been welcome changes to the Seasonal Worker Pilot, the inclusion of the ornamental horticulture sector necessitates the Government to make available the extra 10,000 visas earmarked and for the scheme to be made permanent.

However, a reliance on overseas labour must be reduced in preference for a long-term labour strategy that grows and develops homegrown talent, the committee adds, combining attractive education and vocational training packages with the deployment of new technology.

While the committee welcomes some of the Government’s work in the area, it warns that without fundamental change the UK is facing a chain reaction of wage rises, leading to price increases and food production being exported abroad.

Mr Parish, chair of the EFRA committee, said: “In 2021 farmers faced an extraordinary situation – crops were left to rot in the fields and healthy pigs were culled due to a lack of workers. This has serious implications for the wellbeing of the people who put food on our tables today and in the future. The Government’s attitude to the plight of food and farming workers was particularly disappointing.

“While some of the reforms put forward by Government have helped in the short term, and we agreed that we must look to expand the domestic workforce, this won’t happen overnight. In the meantime, it must use the powers available – including over immigration policy – to support the sector. Otherwise we will export our food production and import more of our food.

“Even more importantly, Government must change its attitude to the food and farming sector – trusting them and acting promptly when they raise concerns.”