The Forgotten Industry

GOVERNMENT INDIFFERENCE MEANS KENT FRUIT WILL ROT

Kent fruit will rot in the ground if a significant shortage of labour is not prevented by a Government decision over the processing of visas from Romania and Bulgaria, says Hugh Robertson who is Secretary of the Parliamentary Fruit Group.

The government decided to cancel all visa issue from Romania and Bulgaria in the wake of Beverley Hughes’ resignation over the immigration fiasco. This has affected not only illegal immigrants but also those expecting to travel to this country as part of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme. This is a well established scheme, operating for over ten years, that allows Eastern European agricultural students to gain practical experience in the UK and earn salaries much larger than those available in their homeland.

Hugh Robertson has raised the issue directly at DEFRA Questions with the Minister responsible but merely got the assurance that discussions are ongoing. Repeated Parliamentary Written Questions have been stalled by Ministers using the ‘I will respond shortly’ formula.

Hugh Robertson said: “Fruit farming is an activity that everyone should support. It produces high quality produce close to the market place, it is good for the environment and it is wholly unsubsidised.

“A reliable supply of labour is crucial to growers. The government’s decision to cut off the supply of seasonal student labour – a perfectly legal and well proven source – has left many growers desperately short at no notice at the most critical time of the year.

“It is incompetence and indifference on a grand scale and will result in the fruit rotting in the ground unless there is some movement quickly.”