The environment secretary visited a Kent fruit farm this week as a county MP continued to push for a seasonal agricultural workers scheme.
Helen Whately, who represents Faversham and Mid Kent, invited Andrea Leadsom - a former Kent schoolgirl herself - to WB Chambers and Son in Sutton Valence and urged her Conservative colleague to help introduce a scheme to allow workers to come to the UK temporarily to work on farms.
“Farmers – and their workers – make a vital contribution to the local economy, and at a national level, I’m proud Kent produces an important share of the country’s supply of fruit," Helen Whately stated.
Ms Leadsom added: “I was delighted to be invited down to Kent by Helen and to have the chance to meet local farmers and growers.
“As we set about designing our future agriculture policies, it was incredibly useful to hear Helen’s perspective, as the local MP and chair of the APPG for fruit and vegetable farming, as well as representatives of our world-class horticulture sector.
source: kentnews.co.uk
