Despite securing a commitment to a 3 year Seasonal Worker Scheme, growers have faced the most difficult season yet.  Labour shortages have reached their highest levels and decisions to release the extra 10k visas for horticulture have been painfully slow.  Hear about the ongoing activities to secure a more stable, long term solution, and what businesses can do to ensure the tight labour market doesn’t exacerbate worker exploitation risks.

• Chairman, Lee Abbey, NFU Chief Horticulture Adviser
• Simon Bowyer, Concordia, to give an update on SWS recruitment, any ongoing impacts from the Ukraine conflict, and how the new ‘conditions’ around worker welfare, pay, and domestic recruitment are being managed.
• Martin Emmett, Chair of NFU Horticulture & Potatoes board, to discuss current NFU priorities and activities to secure a longer term solution
• Paul Willgoss, co-chair of Modern Slavery Intelligence Network, to discuss the role of MSNI and the importance of delivering high standards of worker welfare