According to the NFU, increasing the number of visas for seasonal workers is a positive step that will help growers who are having trouble finding qualified staff.
As the industry continues to face a labor shortage, the government, earlier in the third week of December 2022, unveiled 45,000 new seasonal worker visas for 2023.
According to Defra, horticulture organizations might hire foreign workers to work in the UK for up to six months due to the increase in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker (SAW) visa. It represents an increase for farming companies of 15,000 above what was offered at the beginning of the year.
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Further, as per Defra, this figure will be monitored and, if necessary, may rise by 10,000. In the fourth week of December, the department said, operators will be able to apply for the first 4,000 visas. Around the world, there is a labor shortage, but the heavily dependent on migrants labor UK food and farming sector worries that both Brexit and the pandemic are harming it.
There was a £60 million loss of fruit and vegetables in the UK in the first half of 2022 alone due to the strain brought on by rising energy and fertilizer expenses. The National Farmers Union (NFU) described the rise of visas as a “good step forward” for the industry so it could continue producing the country’s fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals. However, the organization cautioned that this declaration would have come “too late” for some growers as they had already decided to cut production in the upcoming season.
“We expect the upcoming 2023 season to be as hard,” said NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw, adding that the situation would be closely watched this season. Given the significant pressure that farmers are now experiencing, it is imperative that any decision to issue the additional 10,000 visas be made quickly and before the peak season.
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Earlier this year, the government’s food policy reflected the sector’s aspirations to boost the proportion of fruit and vegetables grown on domestic soil. Growers need longer-term assurance if they are to see this goal realized.
To encourage growers to invest in their companies and increase the output of fruits and vegetables in Britain, the NFU will continue to call for a minimum five-year rolling SAW program.
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