The NFU has expressed its satisfaction that the government had listened to the concerns of farmers and growers and lifted the employment related visa restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian workers with immediate effect.

The British agricultural and horticultural industries had been faced with a serious shortage of seasonal workers to help in the extremely busy summer months.

This labour force is mostly made up of Bulgarian and Romanian students travelling to Britain under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS). Estimates show that SAWS students make up some 25% of the total number of seasonal casual workers in this country.

When the visa freeze was initially announced, the NFU immediately recognised the possible problems this might create for farmers and growers and lobbied hard to encourage the Home Office to lift the restrictions.

NFU President Tim Bennett said: “This is fantastic news, particularly for the country’s fruit growers as the main harvest is now getting underway. The NFU is very pleased that the government recognised the scale of the problem and has acted swiftly to rectify it.

“The move will help plug the labour gap left by the visa freeze that occurred on March 30 this year and ensure that farmers and growers are able to get their fresh produce to the consumers as quickly as possible.

“The government has also announced fundamental changes in the way in which the SAWS scheme will operate, including a cut in the number of places on the scheme and we will be working closely with them to ensure a satisfactory outcome for everyone involved.”

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