food and drink trade says it will support the introduction of a 12-month covid recovery visa after the pandemic and the brexit deal
The food and drink industry is calling for a 12-month 'Covid-19 recovery visa' to tackle a shortage of workers which is causing disruption and increasing costs.
A report sent to the Government on behalf of 12 organisations warned that the pandemic and the post-Brexit immigration policy was hitting the recruitment of workers.
Ministers were told there were an estimated half a million vacancies in food and drink businesses.
A report sent to the Government on behalf of 12 organisations warned that the pandemic and the post-Brexit immigration policy was hitting the recruitment of workers
The report recommended a 12-month Covid-19 recovery visa to help firms recruit staff such as HGV drivers, and an expanded seasonal worker scheme for the horticulture sector.
National Farmers Union vice president Tom Bradshaw said: 'For the past 18 months food and farming businesses have been working hard to keep shelves and fridges full of nutritious and affordable food, but as this report demonstrates, businesses throughout the supply chain in a wide variety of roles are really feeling the impacts of the workforce shortages.
'At the very start of the supply chain, farm businesses are feeling the pressure. For example, horticulture farms are struggling to find the workforce to pick and pack the nation's fruit and veg, with some labour providers seeing a 34% shortfall in recruitment.
'Farm businesses have done all they can to recruit staff domestically, but even increasingly competitive wages have had little impact because the labour pool is so limited - instead only adding to growing production costs.'
The report recommended a 12-month Covid-19 recovery visa to help firms recruit staff such as HGV drivers, and an expanded seasonal worker scheme for the horticulture sector. Near empty shelves are seen in a Co-op last month
Mr Bradshaw said it was 'simplistic' to argue that the end of the Government's furlough scheme will lead to an increase in workers to fill the current high number of vacancies.
Food and Drink Federation chief executive Ian Wright said the report set out 'in stark detail' the labour and skills shortages currently facing the food supply industry, adding: 'The report makes it crystal clear that today's labour shortages are caused by a multitude of structural factors beyond those created by Covid-19 and the end of the Brexit transition period.
'Without fast action the labour challenges will continue. If they do, we can expect unwelcome consequences such as reduced choice and availability for consumers, increased prices and reduced growth across the domestic food chain.'
Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, said: 'The meat industry has been severely impacted by the current labour crisis, which is not only resulting in shortages in shops but is also beginning to have increasing upstream impacts on farms.'
Richard Harrow, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation, said: 'Labour shortages throughout the food supply chain are creating a perfect storm of increasing costs for our members.
'Whilst the long-term solution is to train more UK nationals, we will only avoid further disruption to food supplies and inflationary cost increases by taking the temporary visa measures this report is recommending.'