British Fruit, Vegetable Supplies at Risk Next Year, Union Warns
- Farmers need clarity on hiring foreign seasonal workers: NFU
- Even in pandemic, only a 10th of U.K. crops picked by locals
Seasonal foreign farm workers in Hurcott, U.K. earlier this year.
Photographer: Hollie Adams/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
British farmers warned that they may not have enough workers to pick crops next year, further risking fresh-food shortages amid potential port delays and tariffs once the Brexit transition period ends.
The National Farmers Union urged the government to provide better guidance on hiring crucial seasonal workers from abroad amid concerns about the freedom of movement for those recruited to plant and harvest produce. There already has been a labor shortfall for fruit and vegetable farms in recent years, putting domestic supplies increasingly at risk, NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw said in a statement.