Farmers offer to pay up to £1,000 per week for veg and fruit pickers in the run up to Christmas

Farmers are paying vegetable and fruit pickers up to £30 per hour to prevent more shortages in the run up to Christmas.

The British Growers Association (BGA) said that some farmers are paying up to £1,000 a week of £50,000 per annum, whilst butchers are now being offered around £37,000.

During the Brexit negotiations there were many promises from the government that there would not be any problems with the food supply chain.

BGA’s chief executive, Jack Ward, told The Times, “There is intense competition for labour with… people poaching labour off farms to work in hospitality industry.

“There is a much celebrated case here in Lincolnshire where they are now offering up to £30 an hour to pick broccoli.”

TH Clements and Son near Boston, Lincolnshire, advertised roles for broccoli pickers, “with the potential to earn up to £30-per-hour.”

The family firm posted in September, “We are looking for Field Operatives to harvest our broccoli.

“Excellent piecework rates with potential to earn up to £30 per hour and all year round work available.”

Currently the minimum wage is £8,91 for those aged over 23-years old and with a shortage of 15,000 workers in the sector there is plenty of scope for young Brits to earn some good money for Christmas.