Seasonal Workers Pilot expands to 30,000 visas for workers

DEFRA have announced the Seasonal Workers Pilot has been extended for an extra year and now has up to 30,000 visas available.

The scheme, which was originally launched in 2019 with just 10,000 visas available, allows seasonal workers to come and work on UK farms for up to six months.

MP Liz Truss raised farmers' concerns that the original 10,000 visas would not be enough to satisfy demand. The government and industry will build on this year's Pick for Britain campaign to actively promote the recruitment and retention of domestic seasonal workers in 2021.

Liz Truss MP said: "The announcement today by DEFRA of an increase to 30,000 for the seasonal workers pilot is extremely welcome. This is an issue I have raised and I know many farmers across South West Norfolk will be pleased that the scheme has substantially increased from the initial 10,000."

"In East Anglia, with its extensive vegetable and salad crops, plus fruit and horticulture production, not everything can be automated and we still need boots on the ground to work on our farms."