Fife councilors have backed calls for an urgent review of the country’s Seasonal Workers Scheme, aimed at warding off a labor crisis on local farms next year. Consequently, Fife Council voted heavily in favor of writing to Home Secretary Priti Patel asking her to expand the scheme from 30,000 visas a year to 60,000 next year in response to an ongoing worker shortage on fruit and vegetable farms across the region.
In moving the motion calling on the Home Office to think again, Liberal Democrat councilor Tim Brett highlighted the problems. According to Brett, staff shortages are already affecting preparatory work for next season, which could in turn have knock-on implications for production.
“The NFU would like to see this increase up to 60,000 visas as this will help the farming sector access the workforce required, provide confidence that the issues faced accessing labor this year will not be repeated, and that this will help to deliver a thriving farming sector that is important to the country,” he continued.
Read the complete article at fifetoday.co.uk.