The Grocer – 24 August 2019

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4 | The Grocer | 24 August 2019 Get the full story at thegrocer.co.uk

Growers rage as freedom of movement plans change

the previous plan for a

gradual transition.

Agriculture and

recruitment sources

warned of immedi-

ate consequences, with

an anticipated lack of

migrant labour poten-

tially meaning some

farms would be unable to

pick winter crops.

“There is a real risk

that we have not got suf-

ficient labour to har-

vest the crops we need,”

Growers have reacted
with fury after the gov-
ernment announced
it will end freedom of
movement on Halloween
in the event of a no-deal
Brexit.
On Monday, the Home
Office released a state-
ment that said: ‘Freedom
of movement as it cur-
rently stands will end
on 31 October when the
UK leaves the EU’. This
marked a shift away from

said British Growers

Association CEO Jack

Ward. “Not only are we

potentially making it

more difficult to bring

crops in from other parts

of the world, but we’re

making it difficult to har-

vest our own crops.”

Ward’s concerns were

echoed by the director

of recruitment agency

Hops Labour Solutions,

John Hardman. “We are

beyond bamboozled

Food waste charities warn

as no-deal threatens supply

Ian Quinn
The UK’s biggest food
redistribution charity
has warned a no-deal
Brexit would threaten the
supply of surplus food
to charities feeding the
poor.
FareShare, which in
2018/19 redistributed
almost 20,000 tonnes, or
46.5 million meals, from
supermarkets and suppli-
ers, said it feared being
squeezed by the disrup-
tion to retailers’ logistics
operations, and short-
ages of fresh food.
The charity said it had
held talks with super-
markets to try to obtain
reassurances. It was also
considering buying more
of its own lorries in a bid
to mitigate the chaos fac-
ing haulage firms that
usually deliver to its
depots on behalf of its
retail partners, it added.
“The fear is if there
are shifts in supply they
could have a knock-on on
the surpluses available,”
said FareShare director

of network development

Mark Varney.

“We understand the

industry has a responsi-

bility to look after its cus-

tomers first ... but if there

are supply shortages and

less surplus, that will

have a negative impact

on redistribution.”

The warning comes

just days after a leaked

report in the Sunday

Times revealed ministers

had been told to expect

major disruption to the

food supply chain, last-

ing months.

Codenamed Operation

Yellowhammer, it pre-

dicted the worst disrup-

tion to food supplies

would last for three

months before improving

to “around 50% to 70%”

of capacity. It also said

there could be disruption

to fuel supplies because

of logjams at the ports in

the event of a no-deal.

Supermarket bosses

have warned fresh food

will be hardest hit by

shortages in the event

of a no-deal because of

their limited lifespan.

“Almost 60% of the

supplies we receive from

supermarkets is fresh

food,” said Varney.

FareShare has also

joined forces with other

food waste redistribu-

tion charities, including

Sustain, the Felix Project

and the Trussell Trust, in

urging the government to

create a ‘hardship fund’

for ‘the increasing num-

ber of people trying to

manage on a very low

income’ and to help food

banks and other charities

in the event of a no-deal.

A letter sent to work

and pensions secretary

Amber Rudd and Michael

Gove, who is master-

minding Brexit planning,

said the probability of

disruption “poses a real

threat to food redistri-

bution for people most

in need in the UK”, as

“donations from com-

panies and individuals

could easily dry up in the

event of food price rises

or serious food supply

chain disruption.”

because we had reas-

surances under Theresa

May’s administration

that the transitional

period would pretty

much happen come what

may.”

The sector had not

been consulted over the

policy, said NFU hor-

ticulture board chair

Ali Capper. “I think

it is potentially cata-

strophic because we do

not have a scaled-up

fully functioning sea-

sonal workers scheme,

we have a pilot. October

and November is the time

at which the horticul-

tural industry is trying to

recruit for next year.

“I am not quite sure

how the government

expects the UK industry

to recruit for next year.

With 60 working days

left to go, it is unbeliev-

able that the government

would do this.”

FareShare said shortages in supply would have ‘a negative impact on redistribution’

FOOT-SHOOTING

Not only are we potentially making it more difficult to

bring crops in, we’re making it difficult to harvest our

own crops – Jack Ward, British Growers Association