Jan 12th, 2022
3 mins
The Government has extended the Seasonal Workers visa scheme to the end of 2024 to allow foreign workers to pick edible and ornamental crops, but they have warned that this isn’t a long-term solution.
Just before Christmas, plans were announced for a total of 30,000 visas to be made available in 2022, with a potential increase by 10,000 if necessary.
The changes have been made following a review of the seasonal workers pilot that launched in 2019. It found the reliance on foreign labour held down wages, disincentivised investment and discouraged workers into these roles.
To discourage poor conditions, those using the route will be paid a minimum salary by companies.
National Farmers Union (NFU) vice president Tom Bradshaw said “these growers will be extremely relieved to have clarity over the future of the scheme for the next three years.
“With labour shortages so rife across the entire food supply chain, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and continue to engage with the government on the sector’s needs.”
The Government also acknowledged more needs to be done to attract UK workers by offering training, career options, wage increases as well as investing into more automation technology. They are also committed to making the UK a high-skilled, high-wage economy.
