Farmers have accused the government of failing to listen to their warnings over the future of domestic food production after concerns ministers would not increase the number of seasonal worker visas next year. The criticism came at a summit convened by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and attended by the environment minister, George Eustice, where food producers, processors, and retailers urged the government to fix supply chains to ensure food security. Some growers expressed concern that changes to the programme would see more farmers competing for a limited pool of labour. “The seasonal worker scheme at 30,000 really isn’t adequate,” said Julian Marks, managing director of West Sussex-based grower Barfoots. The HTA has been campaigning for this change, so I’m delighted that our engagement with the government has paid off.

Source: The Guardian December 16, 2021 13:31 UTC