The UK soft-fruit sector is on the verge of a labour crisis, British Summer Fruits (BSF) has warned.
Concerns that there will be a shortfall in seasonal workers to harvest the UK crop this summer are spreading across the sector, sparking fears that parts of the crop may be left unpicked.
A shortage of applicants from the A8 nations, coupled with current restrictions of the SAWS scheme to A2 countries, has resulted in significantly fewer workers for seasonal horticultural positions.
The UK trade body, which represents 92 per cent of UK berry growers, has teamed up with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to urge the government to recognise the importance of seasonal migrant workers for the long-term viability of the sector.
BSF chairman Laurence Olins said: “Without a change to the existing restrictive rules relating to seasonal labour, British growers may be unable to meet the growing consumer demand for home-grown soft fruit. The likely result is that imported berries, rather than British soft fruit, will be on supermarket shelves during the British season.”
“We need to open the SAWS scheme up to non-A2 students and expand its size to at least 22,000 students for the coming season,” he added. “It would also be beneficial if Romanian and Bulgarian nationals were not restricted to the SAWS scheme in the medium term. We have to address this issue and find a viable solution if the British berry industry is to continue to thrive and attract internal investment.”
UK consumers purchased over £282 million of home-grown berries from supermarkets last year, representing a total of 59,000 tonnes.
Demand for locally grown fresh produce is growing at more than 10 per cent a year.
Philip Hudson, chief horticultural advisor at the NFU, added: “Seasonal migrant workers play a very important role in the viability of the British horticulture sector and are the key to the success of many businesses. These workers come into the country for a limited period and then return home and, as a result, are not a drain on the country’s services.
“Growers do try to recruit resident labour but without real success, despite a recent Low Pay Commission report showing that the minimum wage in the UK is amongst the highest in the world. Growers use seasonal migrant labour because, without it, crops would be left unpicked.”
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