Following the publication of the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) review of the Seasonal Workers Scheme (SWS), NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “We are pleased to see that the MAC recognises how significantly important the SWS is to domestic food security, set against a backdrop of global instability and climate change. It is especially pleasing that the review reinforces the NFU’s call on the government to provide certainty about the future of the scheme, allowing food producing businesses to plan ahead. This was alongside a number of other recommendations agreeing with asks the NFU has been campaigning on for many years.

“Worker welfare is a top priority for our members. We continue to engage with all parts of the supply chain to ensure the skilled people who travel to the UK to help produce food for the nation have a positive experience.  The government has pledged to introduce a single enforcement body and we look forward to working with them on this.  The industry is already highly regulated and audited, so it is important to limit the level of duplication.

“There are recommendations made by the MAC, including points around the Employer Pays Principle and employment length, which we need to look at in further detail to see how this would impact the range of farming and growing businesses we represent.

“As highlighted by the review, certainty is key to the success of the scheme for British farmers, growers, workers and consumers alike. Therefore, it is vital that the new government commits to a five-year rolling scheme and reviews the costs associated to ensure all businesses can access the scheme. Certainty is the currency with which businesses trade and having this commitment would help to restore some of the lost confidence of British farmers and growers. “