Britain’s fruit and veg farmers cut 2022 planting after widespread waste
Unprecedented labour shortages have left hundreds of tonnes of produce rotting in the fields
UK fruit and vegetable growers are cutting their planting for 2022 after unprecedented labour shortages led to widespread wastage of produce, with hundreds of tonnes of crops from broccoli to raspberries left to rot in the fields.
Farmers say a pilot visa scheme introduced to admit seasonal workers after Brexit has not been sufficient, while broader labour shortages have resulted in pickers with the right to work in the UK being lured away to other sectors.
Now growers are planning smaller harvests for next year, expecting that the balance will be made up by imports. “Many of these businesses have expanded over the years — we are now talking about a potential contraction,” said Tom Bradshaw, vice-president of the National Farmers’ Union.
In 2020 imports accounted for about 84 per cent of fruit and 44 per cent of vegetable consumption in the UK, according to official data.
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