“Over 30,000 people have come forward to help farmers, following the call to ‘Feed the Nation’, through the COVID-19 pandemic. However this is still not enough excellent response in not enough – we need 80,000 people to ensure fruit and vegetables are picked on time this summer. Reports are coming in of Eastern European farm workers are being flown to the UK on charter flights to pick fruit and vegetable crops.
Mark Bridgeman of the CLA said: “Where it is possible and safe to do so in the current circumstances, bringing in workers from overseas to help meet the shortfall is the right thing to do if we want to keep the supermarkets stocked. However, we would strongly encourage people from across the country to keep coming forward and signing up with recruitment agencies. There are good jobs available and great opportunities for those currently furloughed, unemployed or students.”
