Ukrainian seasonal workers pick much of Britain’s fruit
That points to a labour crunch this year
NEARLY ALL of the berries eaten in Britain between May and October are home-grown. Of roughly 30,000 seasonal-work visas issued to workers to pick the 2021 harvest, 67% went to Ukrainians and 8% to Russians. This year, many will stay away, not least because most Ukrainian men have been forbidden to leave the country since the Russian invasion. Recruiters are struggling to fill the gap, which means fruit is bound to be wasted. Nearly 8,000 tonnes of berries rotted in 2021 because of a shortage of pickers.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Ukrainian seasonal workers pick much of Britain’s fruit”
Britain May 14th 2022
- Britain’s security deals with Finland and Sweden shine a light on Boris Johnson
- Sir Beer Starmer
- Businesses in Britain are not as gloomy as consumers. Yet
- The Northern Ireland protocol could soon spark a new row between Britain and Europe
- Ukrainian seasonal workers pick much of Britain’s fruit
- Chelsea is the latest Premier League club to fall into American hands
- The Highway Code tops the bestseller lists, again
- Labour and the Liberal Democrats are learning to play nicely with each other
From the May 14th 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Britain
Why have Britain’s bond yields jumped sharply?
Mostly, blame Donald Trump. But Labour’s policies haven’t helped
The phenomenon of sexual strangulation in Britain
A survey suggests the risky practice is more common than you might think
The decline in remote working hits Britain’s housing market
A return to the office means a return to town
Britons are keener than ever to bring back lost and rare species
Immigrants that everyone can get behind
A much-praised British scheme to help disabled workers is failing them
It lavishes spending on some, and unfairly deprives others
Rolls-Royce cars pushes the pedal on customisation
Be your own Bond villain