Defra is running a new quarterly survey asking farmers and growers to provide information on their labour requirements for temporary workers.
The survey will ask selected farmers and growers to provide information on their required temporary labour over the preceding quarter, and of the actual use of temporary labour in their farm business over that period.
The new survey will improve official data relating to the current use of seasonal labour. It will complement existing work by Defra with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on a two year programme to improve official data relating to agriculture and migration patterns, including temporary working.
The survey will not be sent to all farmers and growers. Instead, a representative sample of farm businesses will be randomly selected to take part in the survey. Selected businesses will receive an email in the first few weeks of May to participate in the online survey.
NFU Chief Horticulture Adviser, Hayley Campbell-Gibbons said: "If you are contacted by Defra to complete the survey, I would encourage you to fill it in and share your experiences. The NFU has provided a wealth of evidence on seasonal labour shortages during 2017, and will continue to do so in 2018, but this is a prime opportunity for growers to connect directly with government."