Fruit and vegetable growers have worried about labour supply ever since Brexit first surfaced and this season according to the National Farmers Union despite 30,000 non-UK visas being granted, the industry is still short of 40,000 seasonal workers.
“The problem is not just in the fresh produce industry,” said Nigel Jenney CEO of the Fresh Produce Consortium. “It is across the whole supply chain – husbandry, harvesting, packing and distribution. This is not going to go away it will be a problem for a considerable time. If any part of the supply chain fails, then everything fails.
“We would have hoped that the Government would have valued the hard working people who fed the nation through the pandemic but it obviously doesn’t. We are not crying wolf, this problem has been highlighted for over a year, and is impacting businesses every day and there have been constant calls for help. The Government assumes that because we helped feed the nation we can continue without government support to enable effective solutions, this is not a simple commercial issue as they suggest”
The labour shortage is down to multiple issues people returned home due to Brexit and the pandemic and haven’t returned, IR35 self-employment accounting standard has compounded the problem. Designed to combat tax avoidance, the rule has made it uneconomical for agencies to place drivers in industry. The lockdown also closed offices and training centres which meant that no drivers could be trained or tested and now there is huge back log.
“This is happening at all levels of the industry; our members are having to absorb a shortfall in labour of between 10-25%.”
The Government has not extended the closing date for resettlement application which passed this week, in fact they are offering foreign workers an incentive of around £3000 to return home. These workers can then reapply to comeback if they have the relevant qualifications.
“The Government has said that companies should employ local people to fill the shortfall in labour, but despite much improved working conditions and wages the industry still fails to attract enough local labour. Some have come and stayed but most don’t stay for long. As an organisation we are trying attract people to the industry, we have launched FPC Future 2021 to promote opportunities in the sector. We are working universities to dispel the old image of the fresh produce sector, it is now a modern highly skilled industry.
“There is still a long uphill struggle for the industry and rising cost levels cannot continue to be absorbed, food prices will increase."
For more information:
Nigel Jenney
Fresh Produce Consortium
Tel: +44 (0)1733 405792
nigel@freshproduce.org.uk
www.freshproduce.org.uk