Are labour shortages inevitable in fruit-picking?Grower representatives frustrated at lack of Government action to tackle shortfall

摘要

With the NFU's latest monthly labour market figures showing a 29.3 per cent shortfall in labour availability for September—the highest such figure so far — fears are growing in the industry that the problem can only worsen while the issue remains politically gridlocked.At the opening of the National Fruit Show in Kent (25 October), NFU deputy president Minette Batters said: "For growers, the impact is already here—in higher wages and reduced picking rates, or fruit not being picked at all. Recruiters say they are woefully short.