Concern over seasonal labour

There is increasing fear in the UK horticulture sector that there will be a shortfall of labour to pick crops this year, as the phasing out of the seasonal agricultural workers scheme (SAWS) is felt.

Richard Hirst, chair of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) board of horticulture said: "We have been saying all along that there will be problems. There is definitely growing concern in horticulture about the potential problems for 2008."

Government policy states that requirements for labour must be met by the industry first and foremost from the UK labour pool, and then with workers from within the EU. The number and nature of SAWS permits has changed over the last two years, so that now the permits must be granted only to Romanian and Bulgarian workers, and there is an allocation of just 16,250.

Previously 24,000 permits have been granted to students from outside the EU for a set period of six months.

Phil Hudson, chief horticultural adviser at the NFU, told FPJ: "The problem is that now Romania and Bulgaria are part of the EU, those seasonal workers may work for a horticultural business for just a few weeks and then decide to leave, but they are still free to remain in the country and do something else.

"We do see a problem for soft-fruit, salad and vegetable growers, as we saw it last year.

"What we are saying to the government is that it is important for this industry to have seasonal labour. The Home Office does not seem able to separate this from the issue of immigration. We would like the SAWS allocation to increase to 21,000."

The problem is aggravated by the demands of other sectors for migrant labour. Laurence Olins, chairman of British Summer Fruits, said: "Our organisation is very concerned that growers are going to have to work a lot harder to attract and retain workers. We are not going to cry wolf, but there is a lot of competition, as people may prefer to work in other sectors, or even in their home markets."

Hudson agrees that it is important not to panic but emphasises the very real anxieties facing UK horticulture in this respect. "We have been contacted by a large number of growers who have not got the SAWS allocation they wanted," he said. "It is vital not to scaremonger, but there is concern, and growers are having to look at sourcing labour directly to make up the shortfall."

The number of EU workers coming to work in horticulture in the UK is estimated to be falling by more than 12 per cent year on year, and not being able to make up the shortfall from outside the EU is increasingly frustrating for the sector.

Meurig Raymond, deputy president of the NFU, this week met with Liam Byrne, Home Office minister of state for borders and immigration to press the point further.

"The soft-fruit season is running later this year than last, but who knows what the weather will bring?" warned Hudson. "If we have another warm April, then these labour shortage issues could really start to be felt next month, if not in May."

Source: Fresh Produce Journal