A seasonal worker scheme open to students from outside the EU could fill the gap left by the abolition of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS).
That is one of the policy recommendations made in the 2015 NFU manifesto, officially unveiled today ahead of the autumn main party conferences.
The five-pillar manifesto is separated into ‘quick wins’ such as an exports drive and raised investment allowance, mid-term options including a CAP greening review and a SAWS replacement, and long-term policy recommendations including renewable energy.
Aimed at both sitting MPs, NFU members, and prospective MP candidates, the NFU manifesto will be taken round party conferences and NFU fringe events.
Speaking at the launch, NFU president Meurig Raymond, said: “The political landscape is changing, it’s a very important time for farming. At the moment we are only producing around 62 per cent of our food needs.”
He said that to turn around the “supertanker” of falling self-sufficiency, the industry must produce more food with fewer inputs using sustainable intensification.
Addressing one of the primary concerns for the fresh produce industry, Raymond said that although this year may not see a labour shortage following the demise of SAWS, he said there are concerns for upcoming years.
“In the manifesto it says that we believe that if there is a shortage of labour we ought to be looking to see if we can convince government of a SAWS mark two.
“When students come from Eastern Europe, or from central to mid Europe, they get a lot of work experience which benefits their local economy when they go back, so it’s a win-win.
“The problem with EU workers is they want a permanent job, not seasonal. If they come to the UK they want to work in London in a coffee shop,” he said. “That’s why it works so well having students doing it as they come during their holiday period.”
Matt Ware, head of government and parliamentary affairs at the NFU, said that the NFU and industry are looking at what has been successful in other countries, which also have a shortage of seasonal labour.
“It’s up to us as an industry to go out and find a solution and present it to government. We’re looking at what other countries do, such as Australia and New Zealand, to see what is successful and what is acceptable to government.”
Ware said the ‘Wwoof’ (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) scheme, which allows travellers to work on organic farms across the world in exchange for free accommodation and food, is one option to look into for the future.
