By Ralph Barnett and Alan Richardson

FRUIT GROWERS in the east of Scotland are facing possible disaster because of new government legislation which is likely to slash the number of migrant workers available to harvest their crops.

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Scheme (SAWS) is now open to only Bulgarians and Romanians and the likely result is that the number of seasonal migrant workers coming to Scotland this year will be only around 16,000 compared with 25,000 last year.

Ukrainians, who have been coming to Scotland in large numbers for several years to pick fruit, are not now eligible under the scheme.

The strength of the euro against the pound and better rates of pay in other low-skilled jobs also means that toiling for long hours in the fields of Angus is no longer the only option open to migrant workers.

John Gray, commercial manager with Angus Soft Fruits, which is based just outside Arbroath, said, “Without a doubt this is a matter of some considerable concern at grower level.

“If migrant pickers from eastern Europe do not arrive in sufficient numbers and in time for the start of the harvest season the soft fruit industry in Scotland could be facing a potentially disastrous outcome.

“The worst-case scenario is that we do not have the people to pick the fruit when it is ready and it ends up rotting on the bushes.

“It would be like a cereal farmer having a ripe crop in his field but no access to a combine harvester.

Angus Soft Fruits, based at East Seaton, is one of the country’s leading suppliers of strawberries and raspberries with contracts with most of the UK’s leading supermarket groups and a strong overseas market as well.

Angus Soft Fruits has more than 20 growers in the UK and Europe and Mr Gray estimated that at least 95% of their seasonal pickers were temporary migrant workers from eastern Europe.

He said, “The proportion of local people who are prepared to work in the fields has fallen to virtually zero and I think the fact is that those who might be available simply don’t want to do this type of work.

“Times have changed since the 1960s and 1970s when local school children and, indeed, whole families could be relied upon to provide the seasonal workforce and that role has, in recent times, been filled by the migrant workers.”

“If there are not enough people to pick the fruit then it would have a major impact on the industry as a whole.”

It is likely to be after the peak summer season when Perthshire’s fruit farms could struggle to fill casual labour posts, another prominent industry member said.

Euan McIntyre, of Wester Essendy Farm, near Blairgowrie, said the changes could start to bite in late August. “Scotland tends to be a bit behind England with these things so it’s not an immediate problem.

“The government has seen a chance to look like it is doing something about migrant numbers but it is targeting the wrong people.

“By saying SAWS workers can only come from certain places, they are denying us the many, many workers from the Ukraine and the likes who were doing vital work for the industry.

“It looks as if they could be storing up problems for us in the longer term.”

He said other factors such as the weak exchange rate for the pound against the euro and a more complicated tax regime are making such casual work less attractive to foreigners.