NFU SCOTLAND has called on the UK Home Secretary to make 'essential decisions' about the immigration of non-UK labour ahead of Brexit.

Writing to the recently appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department, Priti Patel, the union underlined the critical contribution of non-UK nationals fill to seasonal, temporary and permanent positions across Scottish farming and the food industry – in abattoirs, processing, packing and manufacturing – delivering high-quality Scottish produce from field to fork.

With the UK Government currently planning for a 'no deal' exit from the EU on October 31, NFUS said that labour availability had to be an 'essential tenet' of contingency planning – with regard to seasonal staff in particular, growers needed to put plans in place now and could not do so without confidence that a 'vastly expanded' Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme will be in place.

The union's members are also reporting that, increasingly, permanent farm jobs that have previously been filled by EU workers are becoming difficult to fill when workers move on. In the event of a no deal Brexit, and regardless of whether freedom of movement is agreed, the NFUS warned that the weakening pound meant that EU workers were increasingly likely to go to other parts of the EU than come to the UK.

In the letter, president Andrew McCornick wrote: “Without non-UK workers the whole agri-food supply chain – farms, processors and hauliers – will be unable to maintain productivity and the current provision of food to UK consumers.

“There is complete reliance of the time-sensitive soft fruit and field vegetable sectors on a non-UK seasonal workforce," he said. "There is simply no substitute for competent staff, and the UK Government recognised these challenges by setting up the Pilot Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme. Whilst the Pilot scheme is certainly a step in the right direction, the case is clear that it will not provide nearly enough permits if shortages such as those experienced in 2017 and 2018 arise.

“Far more pressingly, should the Home Office end free movement in the event of a no deal on October 31, then I implore the Government to act with urgency now to ensure up to 80,000 seasonal permits are available for a non-UK workforce to undertake work in the next season. For NFUS, this must be considered a vital tenet of contingency planning for a likely no deal exit, and our sector would need this solution in place in time for the planned date of exit," said Mr McCornick.

“On permanent workers, the proposal for all permanent staff coming into the UK to be working in a job that pays upwards of £30,000 is unworkable within the Scottish context and sets an arbitrary threshold with no basis in the reality of employment patterns within Scottish agriculture or food and drink processing," he added.

“If the proposed immigration scheme is not amended to provide access to lower paid workers then the Shortage Occupation List needs to be expanded; and NFUS will be submitting strong evidence to make the case for a differentiated proposal for workers in Scottish agri-food.”