Latest news with #fruitandvegetables
The Independent
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Farmers could foot foreign workers' upfront costs to travel to UK
A government-commissioned report suggests British farms and supermarkets could address the exploitation of seasonal fruit and vegetable pickers by covering their travel and visa costs, estimated to be between £850-£1,500 per worker. The study, undertaken for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), proposes four models where recruiters, farms, retailers, or consumers bear the costs, potentially adding 1-3 pence per week to consumer fruit and vegetable prices. The research estimates that implementing the 'Employer Pays Principle' would cost £43.1 million in total and eliminate debt for 18,200 workers, with 70 per cent of seasonal workers currently accruing debt to come to the UK. While retailers and worker representatives largely support the proposal, many farmers are concerned it could threaten worker commitment, as the current system incentivises hard work to clear debts. Independent anti-slavery commissioner Eleanor Lyons urged the government to act, highlighting the increased vulnerability of seasonal workers who face excessive hours, debt bondage, and challenging conditions.
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Border checks on fruit and vegetable imports from EU scrapped
Planned border checks on fruit and vegetables imported into the UK from the European Union will be scrapped. The Government has said Sir Keir Starmer's Brexit reset deal will stop the proposed controls coming into force on July 1. The produce sector has suggested that halting the plans will save businesses around £200 million of additional supply chain costs. Bosses had warned that this could add to inflation, put pressure on food supply chains and threaten the future of businesses. The new SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) deal with the EU will eliminate routine border checks for food exports and imports on certain products. The Government said impending checks on 'medium-risk' fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes, grapes, plums, cherries, peaches and peppers, will now not be introduced. The latest relaxation in trade rules will take place until January 31 2027 as a 'contingency measure', according to officials. Biosecurity minister Baroness Hayman said: 'This Government's EU deal will make food cheaper, slash bureaucracy and remove cumbersome border controls for businesses. 'A strengthened, forward-looking partnership with the European Union will deliver for working people as part of our plan for change.' It is the fourth time the border check plans have been pushed back, with the proposals previously set to come into force in January. The checks on fruit and vegetables were the latest phase of the Government's Border Target Operating Model which introduced checks on animal and plant products last year.
