The NFU has asked to meet with Brexit secretary David Davies over fears that more restrictive post-Brexit immigration policy could lead to huge losses in the agricultural workforce, affecting horticulture in particular.

The union is warning that crops could go unharvested without access to labour post-Brexit, and union officials are seeking a meeting with the newly appointed Brexit Secretary to avoid restrictive immigration policy having a “a devastating impact on the horticulture industry.”

Speaking at the Fruit Focus event, in East Malling, Kent, NFU horticulture board chair Ali Capper said that the decision to leave the European Union placed huge uncertainty over the future of non-UK workers in the industry. These workers, often from elsewhere in the EU, are crucial in picking, grading and packing the crops and Mrs Capper urged government to work closely with the NFU and its members to solve a potential labour problem that could result in unharvested crops and see horticultural businesses closing down for good.

“Post-Brexit there is the likelihood that there will be a more restrictive immigration process in place. Effectively this could end the free movement of labour from the European Economic Area,” she said. “We need to be prepared to explore all the possible options in maintaining access to horticulture’s vital labour supply. This could involve some form of visa-restricted access to labour. We need to investigate the specifics to ensure we have the workforce this industry needs.

“What is also clear is that we are not just talking about access to seasonal labour - some sectors and businesses are currently reliant on non-UK workers in full-time roles, year-round.”

Mrs Capper has written to Brexit minister David Davis, asking him to meet with members as soon as possible to discuss the labour concerns of horticulturalists and farmers and growers from other sectors. In her letter, she says: “…our exit from the European Union now creates uncertainty for farmers and growers. It is not unusual for horticultural producers to be planning crops 10 years in advance, yet these crops cannot be produced without good labour supply.”