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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on (a) the shortfall of applicants in the 2022 Seasonal Workers Scheme, and (b) ensuring there are sufficient applicants in future years of the Seasonal Workers Scheme.

My department works closely with a wide range of industry stakeholders and other Government departments to understand labour supply and demand, including for both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements, to ensure there is a long-term strategy for the farming workforce. This includes regular meetings with the Home Office to discuss current and future immigration policy and the needs of the farming sector.

Under the Seasonal Workers visa route, as agreed with the Home Office, a total of 40,000 seasonal worker visas were available in 2022, with 38,000 of these going to the horticulture sector and 2,000 to the poultry sector. 2022 has been a challenging year for labour providers, farmers and growers, with war in the Ukraine disrupting the sourcing and supply of workers and extreme weather impacting on harvests. This made it harder to match supply with demand. Visa route operators are working closely with growers to optimise worker transfers between businesses so that workers make the most of their time here and businesses get the support they need.

HM Government recognises the importance of a reliable source of seasonal labour for crop picking and packing, and that it is a key part of bringing in the harvest for the horticultural sector. That is why the Prime Minster committed to look at expanding seasonal workers schemes in the leadership campaign and we are in discussion with the Home Office regarding the visa allocation for 2023 and 2024. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the labour needs of the agriculture sector and the impacts of these additional visas.

To assist medium to longer term workforce planning HM Government has commissioned an independent review which will consider how automation, domestic labour and migrant labour can contribute to tackling labour shortages in the food supply chain. The review will focus on farming, processing, and food and drink manufacturing as sectors which are critical for food production and food security. It will report in spring 2023.