Supplies of popular winter vegetables like brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, kale and mushrooms could be affected by the labour shortfall, which is part fuelled by Brexit uncertainty. The crisis is striking the apple harvest the most as growers have been forced to leave 100 tons of fruit unpicked – which amounts to around 16 million apples.
The figures, which emerged in a National Farmers' Union survey, say that farmers are seeing a 16 per cent shortfall in the seasonal workforce and as a result, British farmers could be hit hard financially during the festive period.
The employment slump is leading experts to fear winter food shortages in supermarkets. Ali Capper, chairwoman of the NFU's horticultural board and an apple producer stated: "With the root-crop harvest approaching there may not be enough carrots, parsnips, sprouts or broccoli at Christmas."
In recent years, a shortage of workers from Eastern Europe, who make a reported 99 per cent of the seasonal picking workforce, has caused problems for growers but the situation has worsened this year over Brexit fears.
EU workers are increasingly choosing to work in countries that pay in euros like the Netherlands, Denmark or Germany because they are apparently put off by the possible devaluation of sterling and confusion over visa regulations.
A grower from the South-West has had to let broccoli valued at £100,000 rot in his fields, according to Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Growers Association. Mr Ward: "Potentially it could make supplies tight but retailers will pull out all the stops to make sure there will be products on the shelves, the danger is that we start importing products."
He said that at present the British Growers Association wants the Government to expand a pilot scheme allowing workers from outside the EU, like Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, to travel for seasonal work in Britain.
Source: aol.co.uk