Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) number of vacancies and (b) level of skill shortages in the horticulture industry.

Defra is aware of the impact that labour shortages are having in the horticulture sector. We continue to work closely with industry to monitor the situation and to help our world-leading farmers and growers access the labour and skills they need. To inform future decisions on labour across the sector, Defra recently launched an independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain. It will report in spring 2023.

A Seasonal Worker visa route was specifically designed to support the UK horticulture sector where growers typically require higher volumes of labour, for relatively short-term periods of time, in line with seasonal production peaks. On 16 December 2022, the Government announced that an allocation of 45,000 visas will be made available in 2023 enabling edible and ornamental horticulture businesses to recruit foreign workers for up to six months. This is an uplift of 15,000 visas compared to the allocation at the start of 2022. A further 10,000 visas are potentially available for horticulture should there be demand and contingent on sponsors and growers continuing to improve worker welfare standards. The Seasonal Worker visa route will continue to operate until at least the end of 2024.

Defra will continue to work closely with industry to make sure that the workforce requirements for the food and farming sector are understood across Government.