DEFRA announced today the Seasonal Workers Pilot, which was originally launched in 2019, has been extended and expanded for an additional year with 30,000 visas available for those wanting to come and work on UK farms for a period of up to six months. Liz Truss MP raised farmers concerns with ministers of the need to expand the pilot as the current limit of 10,000 would not fulfil current demand. In addition, the government alongside industry, will build on this year’s Pick for Britain campaign and actively promote the recruitment and retention of domestic seasonal workers in 2021.
Liz Truss MP commented ‘The announcement today by DEFRA of an increase to 30,000 for the seasonal workers pilot is extremely welcome. This is an issue I have raised and I know many farmers across South West Norfolk will be pleased that the scheme has substantially increased from the initial 10,000. In East Anglia, with its extensive vegetable and salad crops, plus fruit and horticulture production, not everything can be automated and we still need boots on the ground to work on our farms.’
Further details of the scheme
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/up-to-30000-workers-to-help-reap-2021-harvest
