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Threat to fruit crops
United Kingdom
Monday 28 April 2008
Scotland’s soft fruit and field vegetable industry, which is worth around £180 million at ex-farm prices each year, is in danger of seeing crops go to waste following the UK government's recently announced restrictions on immigrant workers.
The Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme (SAWS), due to be phased out in 2010, has been one of the main sources of labour, with the indigenous population showing little interest in the back-breaking work of picking fruit and harvesting vegetables. Last year the scheme was altered so that only 60 per cent of the 16,250 worker quota was amended to permit entry to students from around the world, with the balance reserved for Bulgaria and Romania. However, this year it appears that pickers can only arrive on a legal basis from those two countries.
Worse still, from the agricultural perspective, is the fact that the government's points-based system effectively bars Scottish growers from accessing non-EU skilled workers, even though they may only be resident for a few months while paying income tax and national insurance.
Peter Loggie, a senior policy manager with NFU Scotland, said: "Last season the combined result of these changes was that some farms had insufficient workers to complete their harvest so that produce was left to rot in the fields.
"Besides the undesirability of healthy, high-quality food going to waste, it was demoralising for growers who have invested time and capital producing a crop seeing it go to waste. This year there are already clear signs of labour shortages. We believe that SAWS should be retained and restored to its previous format and that the points scheme for non-EU workers must continue."
The Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme (SAWS), due to be phased out in 2010, has been one of the main sources of labour, with the indigenous population showing little interest in the back-breaking work of picking fruit and harvesting vegetables. Last year the scheme was altered so that only 60 per cent of the 16,250 worker quota was amended to permit entry to students from around the world, with the balance reserved for Bulgaria and Romania. However, this year it appears that pickers can only arrive on a legal basis from those two countries.
Worse still, from the agricultural perspective, is the fact that the government's points-based system effectively bars Scottish growers from accessing non-EU skilled workers, even though they may only be resident for a few months while paying income tax and national insurance.
Peter Loggie, a senior policy manager with NFU Scotland, said: "Last season the combined result of these changes was that some farms had insufficient workers to complete their harvest so that produce was left to rot in the fields.
"Besides the undesirability of healthy, high-quality food going to waste, it was demoralising for growers who have invested time and capital producing a crop seeing it go to waste. This year there are already clear signs of labour shortages. We believe that SAWS should be retained and restored to its previous format and that the points scheme for non-EU workers must continue."
