The industry is putting pressure on government to extend the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) for fear of unpicked crops and pressure on firms’ futures.
The NFU is to submit proposals to immigration minister Damian Green after parliament returns from recess to extend the SAWS scheme until 2013 and then set out options beyond that.
The union is working with industry to put together the paper. NFU board member Richard Hirst and Place UK MD Tim Place met with DEFRA minister Jim Paice in Norfolk last week.
The EU is expected to debate whether to admit Romania and Bulgaria, the two newest EU members, to the Schengen zone, which allows people to cross frontiers without showing passports, in the next two months.
While the UK is not in the zone, France, Germany and the Netherlands have called for a delay over the countries’ admission.
NFU chief horticultural advisor Hayley Campbell-Gibbons said the industry needed to show the Home Office it is making every effort to recruit British people.
Place told FPJ: “There will definitely be a change to SAWS at the end of the next two-year period. I do not think the Home Office is really on board.
“British people do not want to do manual, tedious outdoor work - we have tried before with 70 British people turning up on the first day and then five left after eight days.”
Place said before the recession in 2008, Polish people used seasonal work as a “stepping stone” into permanent positions, sometimes failing to turn up on the first day of work and there are fears this could happen again if the rules change.
“There is no way to plan for this, you cannot budget for people not turning up,” Place added.
Hirst, a member of the G’s Growers producer organisation that has been de-recognised, brought the issue of POs to Paice.
He said the company had been given “scant information” in explaining the decision and is seeking a meeting with the Rural Payments Agency.
Paul Kelsey, chairman of Berry Gardens said: “We have been recognised and our PO fund is worth £1.2 million. We’re looking forward to reinvesting that money in grower business and moving Berry Gardens forward.
“We have every sympathy with those businesses that have not been recognised.”
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