Why cohort management is vital for producers:Fruit Focus webinar reviews ongoing trireats posed to the sector by COVID-19 crisis

摘要

Cohort management is the most important factor in managing the coronavirus threat with growers, an online Fruit Focus seminar has heard. The webinar reviewed the challenges faced by the sector in recruiting workers, cost impacts, minimising the risksof an outbreak on farm and what to do if an outbreak is identified. The event came aftertwo rruit growers, one in Herefordshire and the other in Worcestershire, suffered serious coronavirus outbreak earlier this year.Pro-Force Recruitment director Jimmy Davies told the webinar that this has been his hardest year working in the industry, with coronavirus outbreaks causing big issues. Public Health England (PHE) and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) need to see a segregated system in camps and small cohorts, he advised. "Cohort management is everything in regard of managing the business impact of an outbreak," he said. "This may not be business efficient as it means smaller groups and more facilities, but must be done as a priority."