The Farmers Fight

Most migrants do veg or fruit picking or processing, some also milk cows, they are employed by an agency and generally work standard hours with some overtime. Other farms employ students in the busy season mostly UK plus some overseas, along with regular workers and the farmers themselves you work the hours that are needed 16 hours 7 days a week in busy times. If you work for a contractor the busy season lasts from May to November.

Holidays usually means mum taking the kids to the seaside for a week, dad will join them if it’s raining, as couple the might get away in January if granny will have the kids. It’s tough on the women there is never any spare cash, most earn what the family needs too.

Allira

^I can't help wondering how many people who are so vocal in support of farmers are also supportive of their need for migrant labour^?

Strange question.

Those who support farmers are probably the same people who know something about farming and would know there is a need for seasonal labour.

Not a strange question, a genuine question. The NFU has had a continuous battle with the last government to keep the number of seasonal migrant workers visas at a high enough level to maintain production. It's estimated that £22million worth of food was not picked and processed in 2022 because there was a shortage of labour (lost link to that but pretty sure that's the correct figures). The reason the previous govt wanted to keep the number of visas down was because it was an easy way to reduce immigration figures but it has had a direct effect on the profitability of many farms. I didn't see big demos about that, nor have I seen big protestations because of a lack of a coherent agricultural plan but the change in 2026 of IHT on agricultural land has caused a huge furore in the media. I can't help thinking it's linked more to very wealthy people who have bought farming land as a tax shelter than a genuine concern for farmers.
fwiw David59 Seasonal workers can't bring families with them but perhaps I've misunderstood your post?

Fleurpepper

Jeanathome

The main one being that farming families cannot take time off work during July - October

Any ( normal ) family who attempt some sort of break in peak season is going to be paying thousands and thousands. Unattainable for many.

Besides, there are many other professions that have great limitations on when holidays can or not be taken.

Perhaps they could all attend fee paying schools?

Problem solved.

I was also thinking abut what foxie said about not enough seasonal workers and there not being enough to do the job and wondered if immigration policies were related post Brexit. Must affect small farms disproportionally if loads of red tape.

But I don't know the "terms and conditions" of coming over and why not enough allowed.

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9665/CBP-9665.pdf

foxie48

Allira

I can't help wondering how many people who are so vocal in support of farmers are also supportive of their need for migrant labour?

Strange question.

Those who support farmers are probably the same people who know something about farming and would know there is a need for seasonal labour.

Not a strange question, a genuine question. The NFU has had a continuous battle with the last government to keep the number of seasonal migrant workers visas at a high enough level to maintain production. It's estimated that £22million worth of food was not picked and processed in 2022 because there was a shortage of labour (lost link to that but pretty sure that's the correct figures). The reason the previous govt wanted to keep the number of visas down was because it was an easy way to reduce immigration figures but it has had a direct effect on the profitability of many farms. I didn't see big demos about that, nor have I seen big protestations because of a lack of a coherent agricultural plan but the change in 2026 of IHT on agricultural land has caused a huge furore in the media. I can't help thinking it's linked more to very wealthy people who have bought farming land as a tax shelter than a genuine concern for farmers.
fwiw David59 Seasonal workers can't bring families with them but perhaps I've misunderstood your post?

Seasonal workers are just thst - seasonal and shouldn't affect any immigration figures.

I know that people in East Anglia were becoming upset because they were finding it difficult to get a GP appointment at that time.

Unfortunately, as in some other countries, locals do not want to do these jobs.

"Seasonal workers are just thst - seasonal and shouldn't affect any immigration figures."
But they do!

They do, as workers have to have work visas to come here. Less and less come from the EU now too.

foxie48

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9665/CBP-9665.pdf

foxie and Casdon have a point - part 5 of the research briefings (really well written too)

report registers not only a shortage of workers but an unwillingness of the then government to increase them because we should rely on UK workers (who don't come forward) and as you say Allira locals don't want them.

“fwiw David59 Seasonal workers can't bring families with them but perhaps I've misunderstood your post?”

Seasonal Workers don’t bring “families” but there are often couples, they come from surprising countries, one gang on a neighbouring farm came from Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. They all go back at the end of the work season, the agency that brought them in make sure of that or they get fined.

The shouldn’t be counted as migrants but along with overseas students who mostly go back, they are.

Unfortunately, as in some other countries, locals do not want to do these jobs

And that’s a huge problem.

In our little market town, lots of seasonal work to be had, but no one (wants) to do it.

A pity some of the unemployed young men, wandering round the town, with girlfriend and two or three children in pushchairs having dropped off the older one at school, can’t be utilised in some way.

And yes, I have no idea what ‘issues’ some of them have, but a bit of good honest work might help resolve them.

Wyllow3

I was also thinking abut what foxie said about not enough seasonal workers and there not being enough to do the job and wondered if immigration policies were related post Brexit. Must affect small farms disproportionally if loads of red tape.

But I don't know the "terms and conditions" of coming over and why not enough allowed.

There were a lot of East European migrant workers before Brexit, not just on farms, the hotels in my town were staffed by mainly Polish workers, many left during Covid when work was reduced, they havn’t returned. There are better work opportunities in other countries, hotels and other businesses really struggle with staff now.

A pity some of the unemployed young men, wandering round the town, with girlfriend and two or three children in pushchairs having dropped off the older one at school, can’t be utilised in some way.

I'd be interested to know what identifies these "young men" as unemployed, Calendargirl.

David49

Wyllow3

I was also thinking abut what foxie said about not enough seasonal workers and there not being enough to do the job and wondered if immigration policies were related post Brexit. Must affect small farms disproportionally if loads of red tape.

But I don't know the "terms and conditions" of coming over and why not enough allowed.

There were a lot of East European migrant workers before Brexit, not just on farms, the hotels in my town were staffed by mainly Polish workers, many left during Covid when work was reduced, they havn’t returned. There are better work opportunities in other countries, hotels and other businesses really struggle with staff now.

You’re right as far as this area is concerned David49, the Polish workers are sadly missed, they were an asset and often the same people came back each year. They really are hard workers.

Yes, they were hard workers but that didn't prevent the racism aimed at them by ignorant people who, despite living in an area that relied on their work ethic, still complained about having Polish shops in the town, Polish children in the school and Polish people in the GP surgery. This is why I asked the question about support for the farmers and attitude to migrants. Because I live in a rural area I understand why farmers are struggling (and it's not because of a change in IHT which hasn't even happened yet!). I also have seen and heard the racism of the very same people who are ardently supporting the farmers because I live among them. Since leaving the EU, those who come on seasonal worker visas now come from further afield and I very much doubt that attitudes have changed.

As I recall from 2016 seasonal workers from the EU were a key reason for people in some areas voting for Brexit. We were assured by some posters on this forum that the seasonal workers held wages down, took jobs from local people and were altogether a Bad Thing.

That worked well, didn't it?

Migrants, seasonal or otherwise are travelling thousands of miles to do work that our own workers won’t cross the road for.

They are happy to accept benefits and be idle,