A SHORTAGE of seasonal labour after Brexit could leave the UK unable to feed itself, the NFU has warned.
Writing on the organisation's website, National Farmer's Union president Andrew McCornick warned that the pilot Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme was inadequate and saw crops left unharvested in 2018 due to worker shortages.
He wrote: “We cannot feed our nation without this labour.”
Commenting, SNP MSP Gail Ross said: “Even before Brexit, Scotland’s agricultural industry has recently struggled to attract the seasonal workers we need – with the political environment and the falling pound making the UK a less attractive place to work.
“Yet the Tory approach to Brexit and immigration treats our vital farming industry with complete contempt – and risks leaving our crops rotting in the fields.
“Scotland needs an immigration system that meets our needs – and the power to deliver it.”
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