Fruit growers 'are facing a disaster'

Published on Wednesday 23 April 2008 22:10

SCOTLAND needs thousands of new immigrant workers this summer to avoid fruit rotting unpicked in fields.

Farmers and politicians are calling for the UK government to relax new rules on migrant labour, which farmers fear might ruin their fruit-picking season.

Ukrainian nationals who have been employed as pickers across Scotland previously will no longer be granted temporary visas under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (Saws).

Changes to the scheme this year mean only Bulgarians and Romanians are eligible to work under its auspices, sparking fears that this season might be a "disaster" for farmers.

John Swinney, the finance secretary and MSP for Tayside, has vowed to lobby the UK government and the National Farmers' Union for a change in the law to allow an additional 5,000 people from eastern Europe to be employed as seasonal workers.

He said that, as a result of changes to the scheme, the number of migrant workers has recently dropped from 25,000 to 16,000.

Peter Thomson, of NFU Scotland, which represents fruit farmers, welcomed the news. He said blocking migrant workers willing to do seasonal work that British nationals were not interested in doing "made no sense".

Mr Thomson added: "This scheme has been going for nearly 30 years and changing it has caused a lot of needless problems."

Mr Swinney said that the rule changes have resulted in the number of migrant labourers in Scotland dropping from 25,000 to 16,000. He said: "While it has been difficult enough for farmers to find workers willing to take up short-term seasonal employment in previous years, the recent decrease in eligible numbers under the scheme spells potential disaster to many of our local farmers.

"The berry industry in Angus and east Perthshire is a vitally important part of the local economy, particularly in the summer months, and we must ensure that all measures are taken to prevent our farming communities losing out."

Mr Swinney said that Scotland had enjoyed a close, co-operative relationship with eastern Europe, with many people migrating in both directions seeking work.

He added: "It is important that our industries are given the conditions to allow them to flourish, and any reduction in our seasonal workforce could well be disastrous for the soft fruit industry."