Specialist Christmas meats at risk from lack of seasonal workers
Another challenge in relation to food processing, rural areas and Brexit this story tells us:
Supplies of festive food staples including pigs in blankets, glazed hams and three-bird roasts could be hit by Brexit-related labour shortages in the meat industry.
Some specialist processing plants that require additional seasonal labour for hand-finished products are already struggling to meet orders, according to the National Pig Association (NPA), which represents processors, abattoirs and farmers.
Most meat processing plants have labour shortages equivalent to up to 15% of their required workforces, as the fall in the value of the pound since the 2016 referendum has combined with uncertainty about residential status, according to the Grocer trade journal. But the labour shortage at seasonal specialists could be as much as 30% because they usually increase their workforce by up to 15% at this time of year, says the British Meat Processors Association.
Ed Barker, senior policy advisor of the NPA, said several processors who relied on regular semi-skilled labourers from Europe had said they were struggling to fulfil orders ahead of Christmas.