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Supermarkets face a devastating fruit and veg shortage while crops rot in fields this summer because of government delays in allowing foreign pickers into Britain.
It means delicious foods like strawberries, raspberries, peas and lettuce look likely to decay while shops lack enough stock for customers.
The government has only announced two of four operators for its Seasonal Workers Pilot last week, which was supposed to find the necessary migrant labour to harvest crops.
With the peak of the harvesting season a matter of weeks away, furious MPs have slammed ministers for dragging their feet.
Post-Brexit rules have tightened up visas for seasonal pickers, who help get much-loved fruit and veg off onto the shelves.
Overseas workers account for the vast majority of the agricultural labour force.
Westminster's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee found that there had been "unacceptable delays" in finalising the scheme.
The result of having fewer workers will be to send British growers to "the bottom of the list," Tory MP and chair of the committee Neil Parish told The Sun.
He said last night: "We need to get more home-grown labour picking our fruit and veg - but the numbers here are not enough.
"British Growers have been placed at the bottom of the Home Office's priorities list, and the unnecessary uncertainty could prove costly for producers."
Tens of millions of farmed daffodils went unpicked this spring thanks to the same problem, with Parish warning that the industry may be short of up to 30,000 workers in summer.
A Defra spokesperson said: "Seasonal workers provide vital labour to ensure that local produce gets onto supermarket shelves.
"We will always back our farmers and growers, and ensure that producers across the UK have the support and workforce that they need.
"This year’s seasonal workers pilot – which has been extended and expanded from 10,000 to 30,000 visas – will continue to support the edible horticulture sector.
"Food and farming businesses will also be able to employ EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status to help meet their labour demand."
ftatman on May 16th, 2021 at 09:31 UTC »
It’s a bit of a problem really, isn’t it, because food production seemingly relies on a supply of workers who don’t mind living on site, at a farm, on low pay, in shared accommodation. Pretty nasty conditions and not much of a life, nor is there much prospect of being able to climb upwards in any sort of ranks. It honestly resembles something like Apple’s iPhone factories in China. Pretty grim.
If the British people have to return to this to feed the nation, it will be a harsh reality - and possibly revive the struggle that Labour represented during the old mining and factory days.
Can’t see many British people doing this job. Reckon there will be a loophole introduced to allow farmers to bring in these workers from abroad. Or we’ll just import everything from places where cost of living is lower and let the farms die.
YOU_CANT_GILD_ME on May 16th, 2021 at 08:50 UTC »
I see this clip is holding up well.
I wonder if the man in that clip has bothered to even think about how wrong he is.
Start at 4m30s for anyone on mobile.
lolbertative on May 16th, 2021 at 08:04 UTC »
Don't you mean low paid immigrants who work brutal work days while generally living onsite in disgusting living conditions?
If we result in shortages of certain fruit and veg (I never personally see it when I go shopping) then so be it. Fix the industry.