https://www.euronews.com/2022/06/10/it-s-just-not-happening-crops-go-to-waste-as-uk-farmers-struggle-to-find-workers [ ] English English Francais Deutsch Italiano Espanol Portugues Russkii Turkce Ellenika Magyar frsy l`rby@ Shqip Romana k`art`uli b'lgarski Srpski * Newsletters * Games * My Europe World Business Sport Green My Europe World Business Sport Green Next Travel Culture Video * More My Europe World Business Sport Green Next Travel Culture Video Next Travel Culture Video * Programmes * * * * Live My europe * Europe Decoded * Europe News * European Debates * Smart Regions * State Of The Union * The Cube * Uncovering Europe * Unreported Europe Sport * Football Now World * Euronews Debates * Euronews Witness * Global Japan * Good Morning Europe * No Comment * Qatar 365 * Spotlight * The Global Conversation * Top News Stories Today * View * World News Next * Business Line * Business Planet * Disrupted * Dub.ai * Euronews Edge * Focus * Futuris * Real Economy * Rethink * Sci-Tech * Smart Health * Target * The Exchange Travel * Adventures * Conscious Travel * Explore * Postcards * Rerouted * Taste * Women Beyond Borders Green * Climate Now * Farm To Fork * Green Generation * Green In The City * Low Impact Living * Ocean Culture * Cinema * Creators * Cry Like A Boy * Cult * Meet The Locals * Musica * Scenes * The Kitchen Special coverage * Angola 360 * Climate * Coronavirus * Croatia 360 * Depth Of Field * Destination Dubai * Here We Grow: Spain * Inclassica * My Tokyo * Podcasts * The New Uzbekistan Partner content * Digital Garden City Nation * Discover Bulgaria * Expo 2020 * Kerala Tourism * Ron Barcelo All Programmes 1. Home > 2. News > 3. World > 4. 'It's just not happening': Crops go to waste as UK farmers struggle to find workers This content is not available in your region United Kingdom 'It's just not happening': Crops go to waste as UK farmers struggle to find workers Access to the comments Comments By Luke Hanrahan * Updated: 10/06/2022 - 17:11 Salad crops are going to waste in the UK Salad crops are going to waste in the UK - Copyright TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP or licensors Share this article * embed Copy/paste the article video embed link below: [https://www.euronews]Copy * facebookShare * twitterTweet * flipboardShare * mail iconsend * facebookShare * twitterTweet * flipboardShare * mail iconsend * MoreHide * * redditShare * messenger-dskSend * linkedinShare * vkShare * redditShare * messengerSend * linkedinShare * vkShare British farmers, forced to throw away tonnes of crops due to a shortage of labour, are calling for the UK government to bring back freedom of movement. Some say they are having to recruit people from as far away as Kazakhstan to ensure no more food goes to waste. It is the second year in a row that farmers have faced the problem of a lack of fruit and vegetable pickers. "We've probably wasted about 30% of this year's crop," says Nicholas Ottley, farming director of LJ Betts limited. This amounts to about 150 tonnes worth, he explains. The problem for the Kent-based farmer is that eastern Europeans, who were picking crops like baby gem lettuce pre-Brexit, have not returned. Instead, farmers have had to look further afield to countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to find people to work for them. * Millions of daffodils left unpicked in England because of post-Brexit migrant worker rules Jobs for Brits? According to Ottley, government proposals to increase the number of UK workers filling vacancies left by former EU workers have failed. "There's been a mantra of trying to bring British people in, we tried that hard, absolute no goer," says Ottley, "it's just not happening." "We've been in engagement with Maidstone job centre for four years and we've had not a single person through it." Short-term visas In West Sussex, one of the country's largest vegetable growers, Barfoots of Botley, has faced another uphill battle. "Finding labour has been exceptionally difficult this year. There've been delays in people coming on the seasonal workers' programme," says Group Managing Director at Barfoots of Botley Julian Marks. The seasonal worker's programme, which offers short-term visas for farm hands, gave UK growers the opportunity to invite 30,000 migrants to work in the country this year, with the option for 10,000 extra if needed. * Qatar's farming innovations: from vertical solutions to honey production * World's largest vertical farm is being built in the UK and it's the size of 96 tennis courts * Belgian farmers struggle as drought and rising costs hit "To recruit somebody, to get all of their paperwork in order, and then to move them to the UK takes a minimum three weeks. And crops don't wait for anybody," explains Marks. "They keep growing and once they grow beyond a certain point they're out of specification for UK retail and they will go to waste." The UK government says it acknowledges the farming industry is facing labour challenges. In response, it has extended the seasonal workers' visa route until the end of 2024 and is also working towards attracting domestic workers to the sector. 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