Derek Jarman of Hayloft Plants Ltd Pershore, a multichannel retailer and grower of ornamental plants www.hayloft.co.uk gave oral evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee’s first hearing of its ‘Labour shortages and the food and farming sector’ inquiry at the Palace of Westminster in late October 2021. He went in his capacity as chairman designate of the British Protected Ornamentals Association (BPOA). Horticulture has employed seasonal workers from Europe in various schemes since the Second World War to help fulfil labour peaks during the growing season.
Brexit was done and a new Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme for edible horticulture of 30,000 students was put in place against an estimated demand of 75,000. Ornamental horticulture had no seasonal staff allocation and hence in 2020 25% of the daffodil crop was wasted along with many other flowering plants.
Jarman explained the severity of the problem and the fear of business owners unable to grow and harvest their crops. Evidence was taken from other sectors including pigs and poultry. Committee chairman Neil Parish MP, a much appreciated friend of the countryside and its folk, wrote to the Prime Minister and copied various Ministers a couple of days after the hearing demanding immediate changes.
Just before Christmas, Home Office Minster Kevin Foster MP, announced that the six month Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme had been extended to include Ornamentals with additional help from MPs including Derek Thomas, West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Unfortunately, the scheme remains at 30,000 staff only, despite record low UK unemployment.