The University of Exeter has launched a farm labour survey to shed light on the labour and skills shortages responsible for the staffing crisis in the farming and horticultural industry.
The RABDF is encouraging dairy farmers to participate in the survey to ascertain the severity of the labour crisis in the sector and the potential ways it can be overcome.
The results being gathered by experts from the University of Exeter will be used by the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH), an organisation set up to help develop skills and support careers in agriculture.
The study will show the changes taking place in the agricultural industry, including opportunities and constraints to growth, and how these might influence employers’ skills needs over the next ten years.
Experts hope to be able to estimate current and anticipated future UK workforce numbers. The research will create a profile of the agricultural workforce, including demographic information, skill levels and qualifications. It will show the prevalence of skills shortage and recruitment difficulties.
Professor Matt Lobley said, from the University of Exeter, said: “Farm labour shortages have been made worse by Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. The situation in the future is unclear because of the impact of new technology and changes in immigration policy.
“While the farming community is used to dealing with uncertainty and factors outside of their control, change in the contemporary climate is happening at such a rate that the situation regarding labour and skills is in crisis.
“This research will give the industry an essential and accurate picture of farm labour and skills requirements, both now and in the future.”
Dr Caroline Nye from the University of Exeter, added: “Our research will help produce a more complete picture of the industry labour force requirements in England. We will obtain information about different sectors of the industry and different regions and what is driving change, attitudes, barriers, and opportunities to training.”
The survey is entirely anonymous, and anyone completing the survey before May can be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher. The survey can be completed at http://ex.ac.uk/FarmLabourSurvey.