Millions of workers on furlough leave are to be encouraged to take second jobs picking fruit and veg during the summer harvest.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said the plan would help keep the food supply chain working over the summer months.
Speaking at today's daily coronavirus briefing, Mr Eustice said only around a third of the normal number of migrant workers are here now.
He said: "We're also acutely aware that we're about to start the British season in fresh produce, in soft fruits and salads.
"We estimate that probably only about a third of the migrant labour that would normally come to the UK is here, and was probably here before lock-down.
"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: "It's not an issue at the moment since the harvest has barely begun, but we do anticipate that there will be a need to recruit staff for those sectors in the month of June."
Mr Eustice also dismissed media reports that all travellers returning to the UK from abroad will have to be quarantined on arrival for 14 days as "speculation".
"He said: As we move to a new phase at some point in the future - we are not there yet - international travel could become a more significant part of the risk to manage.
"At the moment, all of the evidence suggests it is only a tiny proportion of the cause of the coronavirus outbreak - if we got to that point, a number of measures would be considered but no decisions have been taken in this phase yet."
