The government says it is tackling labour shortages, funding technology to reduce the reliance on migrant labour and providing certainty and clarity for businesses across the UK.
In its response to John Shropshire’s Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain, the government will implement a series of new measures to support the industry.
These include:
- extending the seasonal worker visa route for five years until 2029 to give businesses time to plan effectively;
- up to £50 million of further funding for new technology to support fully automated packhouses and more support to follow to bring robotic crop pickers on a par with human pickers in three to five years;
- creating a comprehensive strategy to enhance skills provision and attract domestic workers.
Recognising the need for farmers and growers to have time to invest in automation and move away from a reliance on migrant labour, the seasonal worker visa route has been extended for five years from 2025 to 2029 to address this immediate need. 43,000 visas will be available to the horticulture sector in 2025, with another 2,000 visas for poultry. Further detail of the number of visas available for 2026 to 2029 will be set out later this year.
Jennifer Pheasey, Director of Policy at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) commented: “Skills and labour shortages are critical issues for UK environmental horticulture. The HTA has repeatedly sought for a longer-term basis for the Seasonal Worker Scheme. Confirmation of a five-year scheme, albeit with the details yet to be published, is welcome and helps give horticulture businesses who are facing multiple challenges, from weather impacts to new border changes, some much needed certainty and confidence.
“The government response to this review covers other significant areas and issues for the sector including automation, the apprenticeship levy, apprenticeship funding, and green skills. We welcome the commitment of Defra to work with other government departments to ensure that the cross-government skills agenda pays appropriate regard to the skills needs of Defra-sponsored sectors.
“The HTA seeks for both the inclusion and importance of environmental horticulture to be recognised when developing the policy detail across the areas covered in this government response. Environmental horticulture is a hugely important industry, that delivers green jobs and skills, economic, environmental, social, health, and wellbeing benefits to the UK. It is critical that the government listens to and acts on the needs of the sector.”
The Shropshire Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain was published by John Shropshire, chair of the review, in June 2023. The government response can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-into-labour-shortages-in-the-food-supply-chain-government-response/independent-review-into-labour-shortages-in-the-food-supply-chain-government-response#recruitment-and-retention
