'Biggest opportunity in a generation', says NFU chief horticulture adviser

Speaking to the English Apples and Pears AGM yesterday, she emphasised that Brexit has given the industry the change to build an agricultural policy that prioritises productive farming. 

Nine months after the country voted to leave the European Union (EU), the Prime Minister Theresa May has this week triggered Article 50 paving the way for negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU to begin.

Ms Campbell-Gibbons said: “Farmers and growers still want to farm successfully. In this way, the referendum changed nothing. Yet, Brexit changes everything when it comes to the policy context that governs the way we farm.

“I’ll go as far to say that Brexit presents horticulture with the biggest opportunity in a generation. As we leave the EU we have the chance to build an agricultural policy that has productive farming systems at the heart of it.”

Access to a competent and reliable workforce is one of the NFU’s main priorities post-Brexit and is an immediate concern for the horticulture sector. 

An abrupt reduction in the number of workers from the EU would cause massive disruption to the entire food supply chain, according to Ms Campbell-Gibbons. 

“Prior to the referendum, labour providers and employers were already reporting a decline in the number of EU nationals wanting to work in the sector – particularly in seasonal roles,” she said.

“Brexit, and the ensuing uncertainty, has accelerated this trend. I want to be clear. A solution to the farming sector’s permanent and seasonal labour needs is urgently needed to avoid losing a critical mass of workers.”

The NFU’s horticulture board has agreed on wide-ranging asks of Government, including:
•    The Government to publish its intended timetable for the Immigration Bill as soon as possible.
•    A suite of visa and/or work permit schemes that offer employers flexible solutions for recruiting migrant workers for low-skilled, seasonal work and which place minimum burdens on business to apply and process applications
•    A realistic expectation of the ability and availability of UK workers to fill the jobs currently carried out by EU migrant workers
•    Home Office should instruct the Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a full impact assessment of new immigration system options and their suitability for agriculture and horticulture