How bad for fresh produce are Government plans on migration?

摘要

The Government's restrictive post-2020 migration policy plans announced last month leave growers with only the (still unconfirmed) hope of an expanded seasonal agricultural worker scheme (SAWS) as a source of future temporary labour — and growers' representatives have been quick to express their alarm.In terms of sheer numbers, the UK soft-fruit sector, which employs around 29,000 seasonal workers a year, 99 per cent from overseas, has most to lose. Nicholas Marston, chair of industry body British Summer Fruits, tells Horticulture Week that while welcoming the expansion of the seasonal worker pilot scheme to 10,000 permits this season, "there is currently no commitment from Government to extend it beyond this year, which is a huge concern". Even if the scheme were to be rolled over into subsequent years "it would not remotely fill the industry's need for seasonal workers once access to these jobs for workers from the EU ends", he points out.