12 months on and we are still struggling.
July last year we raised concerns about labour shortages https://www.stripyfig.co.uk/post/where-has-all-the-farm-labour-gone and it seems set to continue unless changes are made.
Food waste fears.
An NFU recent survey revealed that £22million worth of fruit and vegetables has been wasted directly because of labour shortages within the industry for the first half of 2022.
The survey represents about a third of the UK’s horticulture sector, the NFU estimates the overall value of food wasted accumulates to more than £60 million.
Survey Results
The survey was taken from 199 growers across England and Wales, which employed 22,000 seasonal workers between them.
40% Crop losses because of labour shortages
56% Reported a fall in production – averaging a 19% reduction across the businesses
14% Worker shortages (Average for 2022 season so far and doesn’t include early leavers)
17% Crop pickers didn’t turn up
9% Ended their contract early
63% Workers recruited through SWS (Seasonal Workers Scheme)
33% Returnees recruited through SWS
4.4% Expect a further fall in production in 2023.
What does the industry say?
Tom Bradshaw, NFU Deputy President described the situation as a “travesty” that food was being wasted at a time when families struggle to make ends meet.
“Every crop is valuable to the farm business and to the people whose plates they fill. We simply can’t afford to be leaving food unpicked.”
38,000 visas have been made available for the 2022 SWS. This year the sector requires 70,000 workers and is expected to increase demands for 2023.
Tom said it is vital the scheme had capacity to facilitate the people the sector needed to pick, pack, and process the country’s fruit and vegetables.
“This means increasing the number of visa’s available to meet the sectors needs and expanding it to a minimum of a five-year rolling scheme to enable growers to have confidence to invest in their business’s”
Feeling anxious about what 2023 will bring your business?
Contact us at Stripy Fig, our specialist industry knowledge and experience will help you put plans in place to minimise the impacts of industry pressures.
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