£22m of fruit and veg wasted because farmers have no staff to pick them

Farmer’s union warns UK ‘can’t afford to leave food unpicked’ during cost of living crisis

Farmers have reported huge drops in production due to staff shortages (file photo) (PA)

Britain wasted £22m worth of fruit and vegetables in the first six months of 2022 due to a lack of staff to pick the crops, industry research suggests.

A survey by the National Farmer’s Union (NFU) found that workforce shortages had cut production on farms by an average of 19 per cent, with more than half of farms reporting a decline in the amount of food harvested.

The NFU estimates the total value of the food wasted is more than £60m, as fruit and vegetables account for only around one-third of UK crop farming.