Horticulture

Food defence ought to be number one on the Government’s priority list during this pandemic, but the new Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution does not even include agri-food, says Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City, University of London.

Ministers have been warned that their failure to introduce a seasonal workers’ scheme for next year could consign viable horticulture businesses ‘to the dustbin’.

Defra Secretary George Eustice has said growers should look to hire hospitality workers who are set to lose their jobs during the pandemic to fill labour shortages.

AHDB has committed to holding regular ballots on sector levies and how they are spent as part of its response to the Government’s review on its activities.

A new recruitment initiative will aim to connect growers with ex-offenders in an innovative bid to address labour shortfalls within the country’s horticultural sector.

Industry leaders have called for Government to provide ‘critical’ data on the UK’s figure for access to seasonal workers, in a bid to prevent labour shortfalls.

Covid-19 has seen a spike in labour costs of up to 15 per cent leaving British growers in an ‘unsustainable’ situation, a new report has revealed.

Three growers are urging their colleagues to complete a ballot to gauge views on the AHDB levy in order to paint a ‘truly representative picture’ for Defra.

The ‘skilled’ agricultural sector has been ranked the ‘best occupation’ for work-life balance during the coronavirus pandemic, a CIPD UK Working Lives survey revealed.

Horticulture chiefs have warned growers will face a steep increase in costs as they struggle to retain and attract workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic.