Downturn in economy could send workers back to fields

8:22am Monday 12th May 2008

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THE current economic downturn could benefit Worcestershire and Herefordshire farmers and growers fearful of a shortage of migrant labour, according to a rural recruitment company.

Many food producers fear a lack of picking staff could mean crops are left to rot in the fields this summer.

The concern follows amends to the seasonal agricultural workers scheme, exacerbated by a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research claiming an exodus of EU migrant workers.

News the SAWS would, from this summer, only apply to EU seasonal workers from Bul-garia and Romania attracted widespread criticism from UK growers.

Previously, the scheme had applied to non-EU workers and these reforms are expected to exacerbate the labour shortages sparked when the scheme quota was cut from 25,000 in 2004 to just 16,250.

However, Nick Tilt, director at farmer-owned business-services company 7Y Services, of Wharton, near Leominster believes the economic downturn could offer a solution.

Governed by the Gangmas-ter Licensing Authority, 7Y's temporary labour division supplies 240,000-labour hours per year in the Midlands to a range of sectors and recruits 80 per cent of its workers from Poland with the rest largely from Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.

He explained: "Temporary labour usage is a key economic barometer and temporary labour agencies are all now feeling the economy bite with a downturn in demand from commercial and light industrial sector clients. There is now some spare capacity in the general labour market.

"The law of supply and demand will inevitably mean some workers will turn back to the agricultural sector."

Mr Tilt urged growers keen to take advantage of buoyant farm-gate prices to plan now.

"Worcestershire growers need to act now if agencies are to offer this alternative employment to staff considering returning to Europe," he added. "The report from the IPPR that half the estimated one million EU migrant workers in the UK since 2004 have already gone home makes that need all the more pressing."

He added potential harvesting staff are also likely to be more expensive so farmers and growers need to factor this cost now.