Pick for Britain site crashes moments after minister urges furloughed workers to take second jobs harvesting crops

'This year we will need to rely on British workers to lend a hand to help bring that harvest home,' says Eustice

The government has issued a plea to furloughed workers to help with harvesting crops – but its new recruitment website immediately ran into technical difficulties.

George Eustice, the environment secretary, urged people to “lend a hand” with picking fruit and vegetables over the summer as only a third of seasonal workers who would normally come to the UK are already here.

But as he unveiled a new “Pick for Britain” website to match farms needing seasonal staff with potential UK workers, the site appeared to have crashed.

Mr Eustice told the Downing Street press conference: “Every year large numbers of people come from countries like Romania and Bulgaria to take part in the harvest, harvesting crops like strawberries, salads and vegetables.

“We estimate that probably only about one-third of the people who would normally come are already here. Small numbers may continue to travel.

“But one thing is clear and that is that this year we will need to rely on British workers to lend a hand to help bring that harvest home.”

Announcing the new recruitment website, he said: “We believe those who are furloughed may be getting to the point that they want to lend a hand and play their part.

“They may be wanting to get out and they may be wanting to supplement their income.

"If they do feel that way, I would urge them to use that website and look at the opportunities that are there.”

Mr Eustice made a similar appeal for furloughed workers to help with the harvest several weeks ago, and his latest plea suggests that efforts to recruit British workers to fill the gaps left by labour from abroad have been unsuccessful.

Luke Pollard, the shadow environment secretary, said: "Ministers have known for months that we are short of thousands of agricultural workers and there is a genuine risk that crops will rot in the fields without a new national effort.

"Labour has been pushing ministers to launch proposals for a land army weeks ago. If people don't know about the opportunities available in agriculture, they won't apply for it."

Around 70,000 seasonal workers are needed to pick fruit and vegetables during the peak summer months but the numbers of people able travel to Britain have been severely limited by the coronavirus pandemic.

The food industry fears that new quarantine rules being considered by government could also pose a major problem - as arrivals in the UK would be forced to quarantine for 14 days.

Ian Wright, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation, told the Commons environment committee: "The quarantine regulations that are being talked about at the moment are a big concern as well there.

"It's difficult to see how you are going to get around that for those who are coming in - normally about 60,000 workers come in for the harvest.

"It's going to be difficult to see how they are going to arrive if they are due to arrive during the quarantine period."

Details of the quarantine plans will not be made public until next month, the transport secretary Grant Shapps told MPs on Monday.

Air passengers as well as those travelling by air and sea will be affected by the changes.