Workers furloughed during the coronavirus crisis should consider becoming fruit pickers this summer, the Environment Secretary has said.
George Eustice urged the millions of people suspended from their normal jobs amid the pandemic to take up a second job in agriculture.
He said only a third of the migrant labour needed to drive Britain’s harvest this year remain in the country.
“We’re acutely aware that we’re about to start the British season in fresh produce, in soft fruits and salads,” Mr Eustice told the daily Downing Street briefing on Sunday.
“We are working with industry to identify an approach that will encourage those millions of furloughed workers in some cases to consider taking a second job, helping get the harvest in in June.”
He added that the international food chain is continuing to “work well”, but said “we do anticipate” a staff shortage for fruit and vegetable picking in June.
Mr Eustice also warned there were isolated cases of the crisis hitting trade, including imports from India.
But he said supermarkets had ramped up delivery slots from 2.1 million to 2.6 million, with an aim to reach 2.9 million.
He also reassured that absence rates among food sector workers had halved at the end of last week, compared with three weeks ago, currently standing at about 10 per cent.
Some 140,000 companies applied for the Government’s furlough scheme on its first day open on Monday.
The programme sees the Treasury step in to pay 80 per cent of qualifying employees’ wages, capped at £2,5000 a month per person, to save them being laid off.
