Visa shortage undermines ambitions for horticulture sector

14 June 2022

Martin Emmett

Martin Emmett

NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair

An image of two men harvesting cabbages from a field
The NFU's Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Martin Emmett calls on the government to deliver more visas for seasonal workers.

The Home Office has failed to acknowledge the unique challenge of seasonal worker recruitment.

It has taken more than six months to release the extra 10,000 visas announced before Christmas 2021. This has resulted in a pause in recruitment that will have significant consequences for iconic crops such as British apples and winter vegetables.

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