Labor shortages continue to pose a threat to Britain's food supply

According to British Poultry Council (BPC) officials, who called on the government to take swift action to address the problem, the UK's most consumed animal protein poultry MEAT sector is on the brink of a major labor crisis.

“The UK poultry sector has grown significantly, but in the past few weeks alone the industry has reported a 10% drop in productivity due to a shortage of workers in farming and processing,” BPC said.

BPC CEO Richard Griffiths said: “British food manufacturers have shown phenomenal resilience and have worked incredibly hard to feed the nation through the biggest crisis of our lives. It's time for the government to support British business so that the quality of British food never deteriorates. We cannot risk a two-tier food system where we import lower standard food and only the wealthy can afford high quality British produce.”

So-called entry-level jobs are exactly where the sector faces the most challenges. Mr Griffiths said: “We usually work in areas with high local employment, so the number of workers from the UK is limited and there is little willingness among British workers to move from other parts of the country. When it comes to the workforce outside the UK - either from the EU or elsewhere - we are seeing a decline in the number of people willing to come to the UK as immigration barriers, wage levels and skill levels make it difficult."

Poultry businesses strive to strike a balance between a skilled workforce and investment in innovation and technology. Mr Griffiths said: “While technology will create more tech jobs in the future, we will always rely on people. Our sector has jobs that require skills, jobs that support our economy and society, and jobs that ensure everyone has access to British food. The government must recognize that food is a special case that is seen as a national security issue. Losing control over how we feed ourselves as a nation will undermine British food producers at a time when we should be using Brexit as an opportunity to take food security and nutrition into our own hands.”