British strawberries could be wiped out by Brexit, farming leaders warn
It feels a bit like the phony war at the moment with a momentous decision having been made whist any consequences are slowly starting to push through. I think this is particularly manifesting itself in the context of uncertainty at present – as this article about the role of migrant labour in agriculture illustrates. It tells us: The quintessentially British strawberries and cream synonymous with events such as Wimbledon and Glyndebourne could be lost from the traditional summer fare because of Brexit, farming leaders have warned.
Suppliers of native crops – including cucumbers, apples, raspberries and blackberries – could go out of business because of potential bans on EU migrant workers.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is seeking an urgent meeting with the Brexit minister, David Davis, to discuss special measures for migrant seasonal workers while the industry body British Summer Fruits (BSF) has warned that unless the government finds a way to keep migrants growers will sell up and move to France or elsewhere in the EU.
The £1.2bn industry relies virtually 100% on workers from Europe because British workers “do not want to get up at 6am and work on their hands and knees all day”, said Laurence Olins, chairman of BSF.