British farmers need the public to apply for farm work now to help feed the nation
As thousands of people are laid off from the hospitality sector amidst the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, UK farms have urgently appealed for seasonal workers to help them work the land. Soaring demand for fresh produce means that farmers are working harder than ever to stock supermarket shelves, but tighter border controls owing to Brexit and coronavirus travel restrictions mean that the usual influx of labour from Europe isn’t arriving to help harvest crops.
This month, three leading UK labour providers – Concordia, HOPs and Fruitful – launched the Feed the Nation campaign to encourage job seekers, laid off from work due to COVID-19, to apply for paid farming positions across the country.
11,000 people have already expressed interest in the farming programme. Half of those UK applicants have lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic – and only 30% have previously worked in agriculture. But the shortfall in staff means that there are still around 90,000 vacant jobs harvesting fruits and vegetables, driving tractors, processing and packaging. Unless there is a sudden influx of willing workers, farmers fear some produce may remain unharvested.
The majority of roles begin in late April or early May, although some farmers require workers even sooner to pick asparagus and soft fruits when they come into season. Many also require help with lambing, which peaks mid-spring. Role lengths vary – some placements last for six weeks, while others last up to six months.
Those working in food growing, production and delivery are considered key workers and are therefore able to continue travelling to work as usual. They are also entitled to educational support for their children. Many farms pay the National Living Wage, meaning workers would earn around £400 a week – and most also provide optional housing.
A post shared by Concordia Charity (@concordiavolunteers) on Mar 27, 2020 at 3:17am PDT
Donna Holland, Head of Marketing & Growth at Concordia, told Country Living: “Each year the UK farming industry needs to fill 90,000 roles – growing, harvesting and packaging fruits, vegetables and edible horticulture. Getting workers onto farms is absolutely vital for the UK to get through this pandemic. We are proud to be supporting everyone in desperate need of a job, and the UK farming industry to continue to Feed the Nation.
“Concordia was originally created to recruit volunteer labour to help with the war effort and to encourage peace in the aftermath of the Second World War. Since then, the charity has supported nearly three-quarters of a million people to undertake intercultural exchanges all over the world.”
Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “We need to mobilise the British workforce […] and make sure our excellent fruit and vegetables are on people’s plates over the summer months. There are already brilliant recruitment efforts underway by industry and I would encourage as many people as possible to sign up.”
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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