The UK Government has included fruit pickers in a group of workers coming from outside the commmon travel area who under limited exceptions do not have to self-isolate.
Many growers in the UK are fearful they will not have enough pickers coming from countries in Eastern Europe to pick fruit due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
There have also been concerns that commercial demand will have dropped considerably given the cancellation of key events.
For instance, it is estimated that 27,000t of strawberries are eaten during Wimbledon every year.
Controversy
Earlier this year, there was controversy in Ireland when fruit company Keelings brought in workers from Romania.
The UK government has put out a call for people from Britain to pick fruit but to date, the call hasn’t been answered in a large enough degree to ease concerns that fruit could be left to rot in the fields.
In the UK, the list of people who do not have to self-isolate include:
Seasonal agricultural workers, such as fruit pickers, with a job offer who will self-isolate on the property where they are working.Road haulage and freight workers.Certain workers with specialist technical skills.Anyone moving from within the common travel area, covering Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Read more
Lack of eligible workers for Keelings jobs
Crunch time for horticulture labour shortage
The UK Government has included fruit pickers in a group of workers coming from outside the commmon travel area who under limited exceptions do not have to self-isolate.
Many growers in the UK are fearful they will not have enough pickers coming from countries in Eastern Europe to pick fruit due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
There have also been concerns that commercial demand will have dropped considerably given the cancellation of key events.
For instance, it is estimated that 27,000t of strawberries are eaten during Wimbledon every year.
Controversy
Earlier this year, there was controversy in Ireland when fruit company Keelings brought in workers from Romania.
The UK government has put out a call for people from Britain to pick fruit but to date, the call hasn’t been answered in a large enough degree to ease concerns that fruit could be left to rot in the fields.
In the UK, the list of people who do not have to self-isolate include:
Seasonal agricultural workers, such as fruit pickers, with a job offer who will self-isolate on the property where they are working.Road haulage and freight workers.Certain workers with specialist technical skills.Anyone moving from within the common travel area, covering Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Read more
Lack of eligible workers for Keelings jobs
Crunch time for horticulture labour shortage
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