Food worth more than £60 million has been wasted because there aren't enough workers to pick, pack and process crops, the NFU has warned.
The union's survey show that £22m worth of fruit and vegetables has been wasted directly because of workforce shortages in the first half of 2022 alone.
As the survey represents around a third of the UK horticulture sector, the NFU estimates the overall value of food wasted accumulates to more than £60 million.
The results demonstrate the detrimental impact workforce shortages are having on the food and farming sector, resulting in major crop losses at a time when the UK is experiencing the worst cost-of-living crisis in generations.
The survey shows that 40% of farmers are suffering crop losses as a result of labour shortages, while more than half (56%) reported a fall in production – averaging a 19% reduction across the businesses.
On average for the 2022 season so far, farmers are experiencing worker shortages of 14%, a figure which is based on recruitment and does not factor in the added effects of early leavers.
The survey also highlights that 17% of crop pickers recruited did not turn up, while 9% left their contract early. Growers said they expect a further fall in production for next year, of 4.4%.
The union's deputy president, Tom Bradshaw said it was a 'travesty' that food was being wasted at a time when families were struggling to make ends meet.
"Every crop is valuable – to the farm business and to the people whose plates they fill. We simply can’t afford to be leaving food unpicked."
With the demand on the Seasonal Workers Scheme expected to increase again next year, he said it was vital the scheme had the capacity to facilitate the people the sector needed to pick, pack and process the country’s fruit and vegetables.
"This means increasing the number of visas available to meet the sector’s needs and expanding it to a minimum of a five-year rolling scheme to enable growers to have confidence to invest in their businesses," Mr Bradshaw added.
“This survey has demonstrated just how crucial it is for fruit and veg growers to have access to the workforce they need.
"Expanding the Seasonal Workers Scheme will play a vital role in enabling that access and ensuring we don’t see this devastating level of food waste next year.”
Other results from the survey show that 63% of workers were recruited through the Seasonal Workers Scheme, while 33% of workers recruited through the scheme were returnees.
Farming businesses said they expect 69% of workers to come through the scheme in 2023.
The survey includes results from 199 growers across England and Wales, which between them employed over 22,000 seasonal workers.
