**'It's just not happening': Crops go to waste as UK farmers struggle to find workers โ€” Transcript & Summary | SozAI** Source: https://sozai.app/transcript/uk-farmers-crop-waste-labor-shortage/ UK farmers face severe labor shortages causing crop waste; seasonal worker visa extensions and migrant recruitment remain critical issues. ## Key Takeaways - Labor shortages are causing large-scale crop waste in the UK farming sector. - Post-Brexit changes have reduced the availability of Eastern European farm workers. - Recruiting British workers for farm labor has been largely unsuccessful. - The seasonal workers visa program is crucial but currently limited by government approval delays. - Timely recruitment is essential as crops cannot wait and must meet retail standards. ## What the video covers - UK farmers are struggling to find enough workers to harvest crops, leading to significant food waste. - Eastern European workers who previously picked crops have not returned post-Brexit. - Farmers are recruiting laborers from countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. - Efforts to employ British workers have largely failed despite years of engagement with job centers. - The seasonal workers program allows 30,000 migrant workers with an option for 10,000 more, but the government has yet to approve the extra quota. - Delays in visa processing and recruitment timelines exacerbate the labor shortage. - Without sufficient labor, some UK vegetable crops, such as broccoli, risk disappearing from farms. - Crops that are not harvested on time grow beyond retail specifications and must be discarded. - The UK government acknowledges the labor challenges and has extended the seasonal workers visa route until the end of 2024. - The government is also working to attract more UK workers to the agricultural sector. ## Chapters 1. 00:00 Crop waste and labor shortages in Kent 2. 00:33 Challenges employing British workers 3. 01:07 Seasonal workers program and visa delays 4. 01:40 Impact on UK vegetable farms and future risks 5. 02:08 Government response and visa extension Answers ## Questions about this video Why are UK farmers struggling to find workers? Post-Brexit, many Eastern European workers have not returned, and attempts to recruit British workers have largely failed. Visa delays for seasonal workers also contribute to the shortage. What is the seasonal workers program? It is a UK government initiative that offers short-term visas to migrant farm workers, allowing growers to invite up to 30,000 workers annually, with an option for 10,000 more if approved. What are the consequences of the labor shortage on UK crops? Labor shortages lead to unharvested crops growing beyond retail specifications, resulting in significant food waste and risking the disappearance of certain vegetable crops from UK farms. ## Full Transcript โ€” Download SRT & Markdown 00:01 Speaker A Hundreds of hectares of salad, but here whole fields of this Kent-grown crop have this year gone to waste. All because, for the second year in a row, there's a huge shortage of people to pick it. We probably wasted about between 50 and 20 of this year's crop. I've probably wasted about 150 tons of crops so far this year. This year, yeah. The Eastern Europeans who were picking this baby gem lettuce pre-Brexit haven't returned. Instead, farmers have had to look further afield to the Far East, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. So why not employ Brits? There's been a mantra of trying to bring British people in. We've tried that hard. Absolute no-go. Just not happening. We've been in engagement with May Stone Job Center for four years, and we've had not a single person through it. Not a single person. So please stop giving me that rhetoric because it's absolute garbage. One hundred miles away in West Sussex, one of the country's largest vegetable growers has faced another uphill battle. Finding labour has been exceptionally difficult this year. There have been delays in people coming on the seasonal workers program. The seasonal workers program, which offers short-term visas for farm workers, gave UK growers the opportunity to invite 30,000 migrants to work in Britain this year, with the option for 10,000 extra if needed. The government is yet to agree to allow the extra workers in. Farmers say they must do so now before it's too late. Last year, a staggering 600 tons of crop was thrown away on this one farm. The battle to find labourers has been almost as challenging this year, and farmers say unless more seasonal migrants are allowed in to pick this, broccoli fields like this one will cease to exist in the UK. To recruit somebody, to get all of their paperwork in order, and then to move them from their home country to the UK probably takes a minimum two to three weeks. And crops don't wait for anybody. They keep growing, and once they grow beyond a certain point, they're out of specification for UK retail, and they will go to waste. The UK government acknowledges the farming industry is facing labour challenges and says it's extended the seasonal workers visa route until the end of 2024. The government also says it's working towards attracting UK workers to the sector. Luke Hanrahan, Euro News. 00:15 Speaker A 20 of this year's crop i've probably wasted about 150 tons of crops so far this year this year yeah the eastern europeans who were picking this baby gem lettuce pre-brexit haven't returned instead farmers have had to look further afield to the far east 00:33 Speaker A uzbekistan kazakhstan and tajikistan so why not employ brits there's been a mantra of trying to bring british people in we've tried that hard absolute no-go just not happening we've been in engagement with may stone job center for four years and we've had not a single 00:49 Speaker A person through it not a single person so please stop giving me that rhetoric because it's absolute garbage 100 miles away in west sussex one of the country's largest vegetable growers has faced another uphill battle finding labour has been exceptionally 01:07 Speaker A difficult this year there have been delays in people coming on the seasonal workers program the seasonal workers program which offers short-term visas for farm workers gave uk growers the opportunity to invite 30 000 migrants to work in britain this year with the option for 10 01:23 Speaker A 000 extra if needed the government is yet to agree to allow the extra workers in farmers say they must do so now before it's too late last year a staggering 600 tons of crop was thrown away on this one farm the battle to find 01:40 Speaker A labourers has been almost as challenging this year and farmers say unless more seasonal migrants are allowed in to pick this broccoli fields like this one will cease to exist in the uk to recruit somebody to get all of their 01:55 Speaker A paperwork in order and then to move them from their home country to the uk probably takes a minimum two to three weeks and crops don't wait for anybody they keep growing and once they grow beyond a certain point they're out of 02:08 Speaker A specification for uk retail and they will go to waste the uk government acknowledges the farming industry is facing labor challenges and says it's extended the seasonal workers visa route until the end of 2024. the government also says it's working towards attracting uk 02:26 Speaker A workers to the sector luke hanrahan euro news Topics: UK farming crop waste labor shortage seasonal workers visa Brexit impact migrant workers agriculture labor farm workers UK vegetable growers food supply chain --- This is the markdown twin of https://sozai.app/transcript/uk-farmers-crop-waste-labor-shortage/ โ€” the same content, without the markup. 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