The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee re-opened its inquiry into British labour constraints yesterday.
The Select Committee will hear evidence from British farmers on their recruitment experiences in 2017 following the UK's vote to leave the EU.
The group, headed by Neil Parish MP, is following up their report published in April 2017 titled “Feeding the nation: labour constraints”.
Evidence already submitted to the committee from the National Farmers Union revealed that nearly 60 per cent of horticulture growers did not secure the necessary labour in 2017.
It calculated an average labour shortfall of 13 per cent across the country, with 13 per cent of growers also saying they were significantly short of required workers.
It's evidence also showed a declining number of returning workers from the EU to the UK.
It's evidence stated: “A fall in the number of returnees is concerning. In previous years returnee workers have formed a sizeable and dependable source of labour for the horticulture industry.
“The experience and skill that returnees possess are a huge benefit to employers, as it improves efficiency, competency and productivity on farm.
“The data supports the anecdotal reports from labour providers that it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit seasonal workers from those countries such as Romania and Bulgaria, and increases the pressure on labour providers to recruit larger numbers of ‘new’ seasonal workers each year.
The NUF called on the government to make a ‘clear commitment’ to ensuring farmers can offset shortages by accessing foreign labour in the future.
Evidence will be heard at Parliament by the committee in the coming months before Easter recess.
