£22m of fruit and veg wasted because farmers have no staff to pick them

Farmer’s union warns UK ‘can’t afford to leave food unpicked’ during cost of living crisis

Farmers have reported huge drops in production due to staff shortages (file photo) (PA)

Britain wasted £22m worth of fruit and vegetables in the first six months of 2022 due to a lack of staff to pick the crops, industry research suggests.

A survey by the National Farmer’s Union (NFU) found that workforce shortages had cut production on farms by an average of 19 per cent, with more than half of farms reporting a decline in the amount of food harvested.

The NFU estimates the total value of the food wasted is more than £60m, as fruit and vegetables account for only around one-third of UK crop farming.

The crops went to waste as food prices surged amid the cost of living crisis which has put extraordinary strain on household finances. Farmers are also facing further crop wastage due to the drought gripping Britain.

Tom Bradshaw, NFU deputy president, said: “It’s nothing short of a travesty that quality, nutritious food is being wasted at a time when families across the country are already struggling to make ends meet because of soaring living costs.

“At the same time, the prolonged dry weather and record temperatures have created a really challenging growing environment for our fruit and veg.

“Every crop is valuable – to the farm business and to the people whose plates they fill. We simply can’t afford to be leaving food unpicked.”

The figures reflect the shortage of fruit and veg pickers that was, in the words of a recent government report, “caused by Brexit and accentuated by the pandemic”.

A fruit picker tends to blueberry bushes at Winterwood Farms fruit farm in Maidstone, Kent last year (PA)

Efforts to boost employment in the fields through special Seasonal Worker visas have so far been unable to meet the needs of the farming industry, Mr Bradshaw said, adding that urgent change was needed to meet the government’s aim of increasing the domestic crop yield.

Mr Bradshaw said: “With the demand on the Seasonal Workers Scheme expected to increase again next year, it’s vital the scheme has the capacity to facilitate the people the sector needs to pick, pack and process the country’s fruit and vegetables.

He suggested increasing the number of places available and extending the visas to a five-year rolling plan, rather than the six-month contracts currently available, in order to give farmers confidence to invest in future harvests.

“This survey has demonstrated just how crucial it is for fruit and veg growers to have access to the workforce they need. Expanding the Seasonal Workers Scheme will play a vital role in enabling that access and ensuring we don’t see this devastating level of food waste next year,” he said.

The Independent has asked the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for comment.