"May 2024 has been especially busy with government announcements of high relevance to British apple and pear growers. In this article, we summarise the two key government announcements relating to seasonal workers and fresh produce farming more broadly, and BAPL's response. These comments have been publicised widely in the trade media.
Five-year seasonal worker scheme announced by Defra
Ali Capper, executive chair of BAPL spoke on behalf of the organisation when the government's response to John Shropshire's independent labour review was announced in early May 2024.
Ali Capper said: "We are delighted with the government response to John Shropshire's independent labour review. At long last, our growers have the labour certainty they need to plan for the future. Our pleas have been answered.
"Until now, apple and pear growers in the UK have not known from one year to the next whether they would be able to access the seasonal workers they need to pick their crop. This kind of uncertainty has been incredibly stressful and entirely unnecessary.
"With a seasonal worker scheme commitment to 2029, we can now plan for the long term. Just as we do when we plant young apple trees.
"What is really important for government to understand is that we, as a sector, want to grow – we want to produce more apples and pears – and that means more labour not less. We hope that this government commitment to 2029 is associated with a growing number of workers to support our sector's growth. We would also urge the government to look at extending the visa length from six to nine months to better reflect the reality of the extended fresh produce growing season in the UK."
"In terms of this announcement, we also welcome the commitment to robotic picking technologies. This is an incredibly complex area and many technology companies have struggled to create a workable solution. When you're trying to replicate the expert eyes and gentle hands of an experienced fruit picker, it's not easy. However, we are keen to see progress in the technology in this area and the government support could definitely help.
"In terms of automation of packhouses, most of our apple and pear growers are already using highly automated processes. However, we definitely welcome the further automation funding the government has promised in this area.
"Finally, we want to thank John Shropshire for his thorough and thoughtful Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain. British apple and pear growers in the UK feel we have been heard at last."
PM's announcement at the Downing Street Farm to Form Summit on 14th May 2024
Just a week later, the Prime Minister hosted growers, retailers and other interested bodies at its annual Farm to Fork Summit. Several new government commitments were announced at the Summit. BAPL welcomed the government announcement that included much-needed funding for UK apple and pear growers.
Ali Capper, on behalf of BAPL, commented: "British apple and pear growers will be absolutely delighted with this much-needed announcement from the Prime Minister. Our growers will be especially heartened by the announcement of up to £10m for English orchard growers to access equipment, technology and infrastructure. This fast-forwarding investment will give our sector the critical confidence it urgently needs right now.
"We also want to welcome the doubling of funding for a retained EU scheme replacement in the PM's announcement. We will need to look carefully at the detail to ensure it doesn't add more red tape with any new structures, but that notwithstanding, it's very welcome news.
"Finally, the Food Security Index is a positive move. We've been in desperate need of a device like this that can drive home-grown fruit and veg production. We're not surprised at all that this year's Index has revealed that UK farming is at its most productive since records began - it's something our apple and pear growers tell us all the time.
"The future of British orchards and the growth of British apple and pear volumes is definitely looking brighter today."
Source: britishapplesandpears.co.uk