A Perth and Kinross councillor has claimed the Home Secretary “knows nothing about our local soft fruit industry”.
Perth City Centre councillor Peter Barrett was responding to Suella Braverman’s suggestion the UK train its own fruit pickers to cut immigration.
NFU Scotland’s horticulture chair also said the Home Secretary’s comments showed “a significant degree of naivety”.
Addressing the National Conservatism Conference in London last week Ms Braverman said: “…we need to get overall immigration numbers down, and we mustn’t forget how to do things for ourselves.
“There is no good reason why we can’t train up enough HGV drivers, butchers or fruit pickers.”
‘Produce is rotting’
Responding to the comments Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Barrett said: “The Home Secretary knows nothing about our local soft fruit industry.
“In Perth and Kinross produce is rotting before it can reach the shelves because farms cannot get the staff they need. She is talking complete bananas.
“The Conservatives’ anti-migrant rhetoric has made the UK less appealing to workers and their anti-migrant policies have made it far harder for businesses to get the staff they need. The Home Secretary may be keen to pull up the drawbridge but farmers are not.
“The Conservatives have left our farms in a jam.”
‘We need migrants’
NFU Scotland’s horticulture chair Iain Brown said the Home Secretary’s comments showed “a significant degree of naivety over the reality of the current situation”.
He said: “Scotland’s horticultural businesses have been on the front line of a labour crisis for several years now. Brexit meant an end to freedom of movement for EU workers.”
The Fife soft fruit and vegetable grower added: “Many Scottish soft fruit and vegetable growers have invested time and money in trying to source a local workforce, but a survey of our members failed to find any farm that had a positive response. It has not been for the lack of trying.
“We need migrants to get the food that is grown on our farms onto our plates, and not rotting in our fields.”
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