'From our point of view, it won't make much difference,' said Graham Neal, of S&A Produce. 'Every picker on our farm can make £130 for half a days work. I think you get exactly what you are prepared to pay for – this is an industry based on quality, the supermarkets have to supply the best and so do we.

'Having said that, everyone in this industry is under pressure and will continue to be under pressure. Anything that adds to that means we all have to adapt and we we have to face the fact that some things in the industry will change. As much as we wouldn't like salaries to increase, it is something everyone must get used to.

'The industry will demand more and more from growers and especially the smaller grower will need more and more support. The demand for our fruit is there, though, so long as the volume and quality are there too. There are no short cuts, our customers have commitments to their customers and they are looking to us to achieve those for them.

'Ultimately there are some growers that would not survive long-term anyway. The investment we have made in machinery in the last year is phenomenal, but we accept that as an essential cost – some people cannot afford to make that level of investment.

'I would like to see the AWB have some consideration to the difference between people who are essentially coming on holiday to the UK to work and the full-time workers from this country. Ultimately, the permanent workers have to survive.'

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