Hugh Robertson hails significant breakthrough on future of Kent Fruit Industry

Success at Westminster as the new Immigration Minister pledges to find a replacement to the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme as a matter of urgency.

Hugh Robertson, the MP for Faversham and Mid Kent and Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Fruit Group, hailed a ‘significant breakthrough’ in the fight to preserve Kent’s fruit industry. The breakthrough came during a Parliamentary debate on labour issues held at Westminster today.

The problem arose because of a government decision to end the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme in 2010. This scheme provides the majority of workers for fruit farms and accounts for 40-60% of a farmers cost base.

During the debate, the new Immigration Minister, Phil Woolas MP, acknowledged that existing plans to end the current scheme would result in a shortfall that would lead to farmers going out of business. He pledged to meet the Fruit Group, and the NFU, to find a solution based on a replacement scheme as a matter of urgency.

Hugh Robertson said, “This was a significant breakthrough and we hope to make further progress when we meet in the New Year. Without this commitment from the Minister, the future would have looked extremely bleak for fruit farming so it is a very encouraging step in the right direction”.