Britain considers inviting Eastern European agricultural workers
About a third of the country's 67,000 seasonal farm jobs are currently filled by Romanians and Bulgarians who are expected to move to less back-breaking roles when they win full EU employment rights at the start of next year.
The farming industry fears there could be a severe labour shortage from as early as next year or 2015, which will push up wages and food prices at the greengrocer's.
It could also drive the supermarkets to import more produce, leading to more wide-ranging damage to British agriculture.
The MAC's report means Theresa May, the Home Secretary, faces a choice between allowing a significant influx of eastern European workers or creating a horticultural labour crisis.
Under the current Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS), a quota of 21,250 Romanians and Bulgarians a year can come to the UK for up to six months at a time.
MAC chairman, Professor David Metcalf, said: "The only way we should have a replacement scheme is if it helps agriculture thrive in the long run, and evidence from the growers is that it would do."
His report added: "In the medium and long term, farmers are likely to experience increasing difficulties in sourcing the required level of seasonal labour from the EU labour market.
"A new source of seasonal labour is likely to be required or the horticultural sector will need to consider alternatives."
Prof Metcalf predicted that failure to create a new scheme could put between 5 per cent and 15 per cent on the price of British produce.
One Shropshire company, Haygrove Ltd, told the MAC that a labour shortage in 2008 forced up the price of its iceberg lettuces from 75p to 86p, a rise of almost 15 per cent.
Prof Metcalf said farmers expect current Romanian and Bulgarian workers to move to other roles because of the "intensity" of fruit and veg harvesting.
A proposal by the National Farmers Union, discussed in detail in the MAC report, suggested countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus - which are not in the EU - would provide a "ready supply" of seasonal workers.
Source: telegrpah.co.uk
