Labour shortages caused by Brexit and accentuated by the COVID pandemic have badly affected businesses across the food and farming sector and could cause ‘permanent’ damage, UK lawmakers stated in a report published on Wednesday (6 April).
Crops left unharvested, healthy pigs culled and increased costs which will ultimately have to be swallowed by the consumer. Not going well, is it?
Mass culling of 35,000 pigs and tonnes of crops being left to rot 'caused by Brexit', committee finds
06/04/2022
A lack of food and farm workers “caused by Brexit and accentuated by the pandemic” meant at least 35,000 pigs were culled and tonnes of crops left to rot in the fields last year, a damning report has revealed.
Ministers admitted the industry's "reliance on foreign workers" hadn't been solved after Brexit.
DWP to promote Brexit ‘career opportunities’ in fruit picking to stop food rotting in fields again
29/03/2022
Produce has gone unpicked after EU migrant workers stayed away.
American agricultural lobby groups had criticised some of the import bans.
Figures show Brexit compounding Covid disruption, with clothing exports plunging 60%, vegetables down 40% and cars 25%.
Shoppers said basic fruit and vegetables were missing in supermarkets across the country.
Companies in the ITV Anglia region say new customs controls are causing delays and could lead to problems with supply.
New post-Brexit customs rules explained as consumers warned they could lead to some shortages
01/01/2021
A UK business spoke about having no choice but to raise the prices of its goods as trade between the UK and the EU becomes increasingly difficult, ITV News Reporter Martha Fairlie reports on New Year's Day 2022.
UK food imports face disruption because ‘medieval’ government IT system not ready for red tape
31/12/2021
Technology glitch means fruit and vegetable importers can’t submit required paperwork from 1 January – and government still hasn’t worked out how to fix the problem.
The Government has abandoned a scheme to recruit British workers to help harvest fruit and vegetable crops, it is understood.
The ripple effects are being felt across a wide range of sectors, from farming and construction to retail.
Unprecedented labour shortages have left hundreds of tonnes of produce rotting in the fields.
While Brexit continues to deliver more empty shelves for consumers, more carnage to our food and fishing sectors and more chaos to the people of Northern Ireland, the eternal sunshine of our international trade secretary’s spotless mind continues to deliver more doses of what seems like good news for faithful Leavers.
A lack of lorry drivers, abattoir staff and fruit pickers caused by Brexit is threatening both consumers’ pockets and meat such as turkeys and pigs in blankets.
Vegetables discarded in field due to Brexit and Covid as divorce bill £5bn higher than expected
09/07/2021
It comes as the Brexit "divorce bill" negotiated by the PM is up to £5 billion higher than the UK government expected.
The number of seasonal workers applying to work at one Kent-based company is down 90% in the last two years and there are fears for the future.
Chefs in Northern Ireland struggle to ship top fruit and veg from Britain due to Brexit complications
25/05/2021
‘Since getting in touch with suppliers ahead of reopening, I’ve found certain fruit and veg is harder – for smaller importers, it’s not worth the extra expense and time’
Supermarkets face post-Brexit fruit and veg scarcity thanks to shortage of skilled pickers
15/05/2021
Government's failure to allow in enough EU workers and new rules limiting visas for seasonal pickers are expected to leave tonnes of crops to rot while shelves lie empty.
Increased costs and delays to paperwork are being blamed for discouraging Eastern European workers coming to Scotland.
A UK farmer said he was worried about harvesting his crops because he does not know if can get enough workers.
A £5 billion EU continuity trade deal with Mexico, hailed by Whitehall as an “Aztec Brexit Boost”, has become obsolete – after the EU signed a more generous and comprehensive deal between its 27 members states and Mexico.
Britain's reliance on Moroccan fruit and vegetable has grown rapidly following its withdrawal from the EU at the end of last year, prompting it to establish alternative trading partners.