Fruit and vegetables are rotting as the cost of living rises. Tons of unpicked food lie rotting in the fields due to a shortage of agricultural and horticultural labour in the UK. According to a study by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), more than 26 million euros in fruit and vegetables were wasted in the first half of 2022 alone because there were not enough employees and seasonal workers to pick them.
Post-war immigration rules on Ukraine have limited the traditional flow of seasonal workers from Eastern Europe, forcing some growers to now even seek workers from Nepal.
Simon Turner of Sharrington Strawberries, near Holt, estimates that he lost 20% of his harvest this year, despite more than doubling the number of seasonal workers from 36 to 76 people. Of these, 34 came from Nepal.
