A student land army has been called for to help feed the nation and bring in the harvest this summer during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Students have been urged to support national food security through local food supply chains by volunteering to work on British farms.
The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has made the call as the UK rapidly approaches its peak summer harvest season.
Around 80,000 seasonal workers are needed from the end of May to help bring in the harvest.
The LEP has issued a rallying cry targeted at sixth-formers and students at universities and colleges across Lincolnshire to create a 'Student Land Army'.
A social media campaign has been launched and information is being sent to educational establishments across the county.
“The food sector in Greater Lincolnshire employs 56,000 people, produces a quarter of the country’s vegetables and is nationally important in keeping our nation fed,” said Sarah Louise Fairburn, chair of the LEP Food Board and a director at Fairburns Eggs.
“Because of travel restrictions put in place to combat the coronavirus our farms are struggling to recruit the workers needed to bring in the harvest this year.
“A Student Land Army can have a significant impact on the national effort to overcome the pandemic emergency and will give students a chance to earn an income while they’re not studying."
The websites Pick for Britain and Feed the Nation are advertising vacancies in the UK food and farming sector this summer.
