Cornish daffodil farm to install caravans for workers as labour shortages hit business

The owners of a farm in Cornwall are hoping to install caravans on their land to house daffodil pickers as they continue to struggle to recruit and house seasonal workers.

A combination of Brexit, foreign worker policies and a lack of housing has been blamed for the shortage of workers in the industry.

In an application submitted to Cornwall Council, the owners of Varfell Farm, near Penzance, explained that the company farm's land had increased by around 820 acres and that they would need an increase of 33% on the existing workforce.

The Cornish housing crisis is a key factor contributing to the shortage, with owner's explaining that most accommodation previously used for workers is no longer available.

A combination of Brexit and the pandemic has also reduced the number of workers willing or able to travel to the UK.

Cornish growers reported problems recruiting enough staff ahead of the harvest which started in the new year and some told industry leaders that they would consider pulling out of supplying daffodils long-term if they continue to suffer from a major labour shortage.

The National Farmers’ Union joined calls last year to expand the government's post-Brexit Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme, which was capped this year at 30,000 migrant workers.

The application made for a change of use of land to allow siting of the caravans reads: "Housing the seasonal workers required to pick and pack the daffodils has long been a challenge for the operators of the business, with only a small percentage of the workers accommodated at Varfell Farm in 31 caravans.

"Until 2020, the vast majority of these workers were housed off-site in various forms of accommodation (e.g. in surf lodges and other forms of holiday accommodation) scattered throughout the area.

"However, in recent years even this accommodation has proved increasingly difficult to secure, with much accommodation previously used being closed during the winter, still being used by holiday makers during the winter/spring or lacking the necessary planning permission to enable its use as residential accommodation by seasonal workers.

"Reliance on the availability of cost-effective, high-quality accommodation off-site also leads to uncertainty when recruiting workers."

The application will be considered by Cornwall Council by Monday 13 June.