Amid concerns tons of fresh produce could rot in fields around the UK this season due to a lack of pickers, Waitrose and ITV have come together for a major recruitment campaign.
The partnership, which includes a primetime TV advert that aired last night, will urge the British public to get involved and drive potential applicants to the pickforbritain.org.uk website, where people can search for vacancies on local farms.
The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions have left British fruit and vegetable farms with significant workforce shortages. Seasonal pickers are usually mostly made up of migrant labourers, many of which come from Eastern Europe.
The campaign aims to recruit 70,000 new pickers with Waitrose supporting the TV campaign by placing ads across national print and digital outlets. Content is also being created for key social media platforms to raise awareness amongst students, graduates and younger people looking for long term contracts over the summer and beyond.
Pick for Britain was launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, supported by organisations such as the National Farmers Union (NFU).
Rupert Thomas, Director of Trading at Waitrose, said: “We source so much homegrown produce during the UK season, that we absolutely need to ensure it’s picked, but it’s also vital for the livelihoods of UK farmers and growers across the industry that the country’s fruit and vegetables aren’t left to rot.
“While the ad will leave viewers with no illusion that the job of a picker is easy – we hope it will capture the imagination and encourage people to do something extraordinary that’s for the good of the nation.”
NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw added: “This year there will be thousands of vacancies opening up on farms across the country to help farmers get iconic British produce from field to plate. From British strawberries being picked in early June all the way through to apples being harvested in the Autumn, the importance of workers to pick, pack and grade fruit and veg cannot be understated.
“We have been working closely with the government who have launched the Pick for Britain website and I would encourage anyone who is interested in helping pick for Britain throughout this summer to visit the site and see what jobs are out there.”
