A new Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme could be introduced within six months if it is determined the industry is facing an imminent labour crisis, an influential group of MPs has claimed.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee today published its report, 'Feeding the nation: labour constraints', into the agriculture and horticulture labour markets. It was launched in reaction to fears of doomsday scenarios such as crops left rotting in fields as a result of labour shortages, concerns which have been exacerbated following the Brexit referendum.
The committee found that the current problems facing the sector could becomea crisis if urgent measures are not taken to fill gaps in the labour supply, and slammed the government over its 'inadequate' statistics for measuring the need for seasonal migrant workers.
It also said the reintroduction of a SAWS scheme is 'under review' and could be introduced in 'five or six months' if the government identified a need.
The report comes just days after Defra secretary of state Andrea Leadsom indicated there was no need for a trial SAWS scheme.
Committee chair Neil Parish said: 'Without sufficient labour, both from the UK and overseas, agricultural and horticultural businesses cannot function. For a long time the industry has relied on foreign workers to perform temporary and permanent roles to make good shortages in the availability of UK labour; UK agriculture could not function without foreign labour.
'The period since 23 June 2016 has seen increased difficulties for businesses recruiting foreign labour and has presented severe challenges for the industry. Government statistics do not properly measure the problem and should be reviewed so that the sector is confident that post-Brexit immigration policies are based on an accurate assessment of agriculture’s demand for, and supply of, foreign labour.”
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