In the lite of this pandemic, and the fact that Eastern Europeans may find it difficult to come over for the picking season. What may befall our farmers and growers? Might we see cars, vans and lorries heading to the Kentish fields, as in past times, with whole families forming an army of holiday makers tree pickers.
Well Worcestershire and Herefordshire won't have any problems as they have recruited a couple of thousand University students and about a thousand furloughed workers. A lot of the growers are saying that they may never bring in foreigners again as the English are loving it. So much for the news reports saying that they'd be in crisis as the English think it's a job that's beneath them.
Well been off work so not spoken to the manger who runs the orchards where I work, but the last time I did he said that he didn't expect any real problems. I think what some people fail to grasp is its quite a skilled job these days. I can remember when I was a kid, mums and the kids used to get picked up by a bus and taken out to the fields fruit picking. I'm not sure it works like that now, the ones I've seen live on site in mobile homes and are there at 7 am ready for picking 7 days a week in mid season. No messing, its hard and in all weathers, if you get rained off you dont get any money. Its ok recruiting furloughed workers and students, but as soon as things sort themselves back out they wont be there, they will be gone over night.
