UK daffodil growers have welcomed the news that ornamentals will be added to the seasonal agricultural workers scheme, but argue that efforts by the government do not go far enough in addressing the critical labour shortage that led to millions of daffodils left unpicked in 2021.
Covid restrictions and the end of free movement in the wake of Brexit have left the UK ornamentals industry severely understaffed. And though the ornamentals sector has now been added to the seasonal agricultural workers scheme, the UK government has refused to increase the amount of seasonal worker visas to be granted above the 30,000 figure it set for 2021.
The Guardian reports that: “Some growers expect up to 75% of their crop will be left unpicked this spring due to a lack of workers. Many smaller growers are planning to give up daffodil growing entirely, with attempts to recruit locals failing to bring enough people to the fields.”
9 out of 10 of all daffodils grown in the UK originate in Cornwall. This number accounts for 80% of the world’s daffodils. The flower is harvested by hand and is therefore a more labour intensive crop than many others in the ornamental horticulture sector. Up until the end of free movement for EU workers at the end of 2020, the industry relied heavily on an Eastern European workforce. It has been reported that this shortage of workers led to an estimated 300 million stems going unpicked in 2021.
In May of this year, the Prince of Wales urged furloughed UK workers to “Pick For Britain” and join the “unglamorous but vital” effort to harvest fruit and vegetables. However, many daffodil farms have remarked on a lack of interest in seasonal work from the UK workforce, with James Hosking, of Fentongollan Farm, near Truro in Cornwall telling the Guardian: “If we can’t recruit more pickers, there won’t be a daffodil industry left. The situation is very grim.”
Read more on the Guardian’s report here.
