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<p>Enabling an innovative, productive and competitive food supply chain which invests
in its people and the skills they need is a priority for this Government</p><p> </p><p>The
Government thanks the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee for its report
into labour shortages in the food and farming sector. We are aware that there are
both short and long-term workforce challenges across the food and farming sector,
particularly with respect to seasonal labour. It is with great concern that we have
seen evidence of horticulture businesses reducing their plantings, ploughing in crops
or considering offshoring production because of concerns over labour availability,
all of which have food security implications.</p><p> </p><p>Defra continues to work
closely with industry and other government departments to understand labour supply
and demand and its implications, including both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements,
and to ensure there is a long-term strategy for the food and farming workforce. We
extended the Seasonal Worker visa route until 2024 and expanded the number of visas
available through this route to 40,000 (now including 2000 visas for poultry workers
to meet pre-Christmas demand) as a result of the clear evidence of need this year.
Last autumn we delivered emergency, temporary visa schemes for the poultry, pork,
and HGV food transportation sectors in response to specific challenges, and introduced
an accompanying package of non-immigration measures to alleviate pressures in the
pig sector, including Private Storage Aid and Slaughter Incentive Payment Schemes.</p><p>
</p><p>As announced in the Government Food Strategy, the Government will soon be commissioning
an independent review to tackle labour shortages in the food supply chain, covering
automation, domestic labour and migration. The review will consider the challenges
facing food and farming businesses to access the labour they require and will provide
recommendations.</p>
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