Defra Announces Five-Year Extension of Seasonal Worker Scheme to Support UK Farming

Environment Secretary Steve Reed is set to announce a five-year extension to the seasonal farm worker scheme to ease tensions with farmers following widespread outrage over the government's recent inheritance tax policy changes. Speaking at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) conference in London on Tuesday, Reed will also unveil plans for a new national biosecurity center to combat agricultural diseases such as foot-and-mouth and bluetongue.

The farming sector was blindsided by Rachel Reeves’ spring budget, which included unexpected changes to farm inheritance tax exemptions. Many farmers argue the policy could cripple family-owned farms, while some tax experts call it poorly conceived. Others, however, insist that loopholes in agricultural inheritance tax need addressing.

The environment secretary has since been working to restore relations. Reed, the secretary of state for environment, food, and rural affairs, is expected to say: “The underlying problem is that farmers do not make enough money for the hard work and commitment they put in. I will consider my time as secretary of state a failure if I do not improve profitability for farmers across the country.

“My focus is on ensuring farming becomes more profitable because that’s how we make your businesses viable for the future. And that’s how we ensure the long-term food security this country needs.”

The CBI chair, Rain Newton-Smith, will speak at the conference to target the government regarding inheritance tax changes. She will say: “You’ve been battling so many challenges … most recently, changes to inheritance tax and business property relief at the budget, which the NFU has said could affect 75% of farms. Some see those solely as personal taxes, but farming is an industry where the professional is deeply personal. And I know so many of you are fearful of the impact – fearful you can’t pass livelihoods on to future generations.”

Tensions at the NFU conference are high. NFU President Tom Bradshaw is expected to deliver a scathing speech, accusing the government of breaking promises and calling the tax changes "morally wrong." The Guardian reports that protests against Reed and the inheritance tax reforms are expected during the event.

Alongside the extension of the seasonal farm worker scheme, Reed will pledge:

• £110 million investment in farming technology to modernize the sector.

• New procurement rules requiring government catering contracts to prioritize British produce.

The NFU has long pushed for a long-term extension of the seasonal worker scheme, which provides temporary visas for 45,000-55,000 foreign workers to harvest crops in the UK. Before Brexit, British farms heavily relied on EU workers who could freely travel for seasonal jobs.

However, post-Brexit immigration rules left the sector scrambling for labor, forcing the government to introduce a temporary six-month visa program.

The Labour government confirmed that the seasonal worker scheme would continue in 2025. Still, industry leaders argue it must remain in place to prevent food waste. The NFU estimates that £60 million worth of produce was lost in the first half of 2022 due to worker shortages.

While extending the seasonal worker scheme, ministers hope to gradually phase it out by investing in robotic fruit and vegetable pickers. However, the technology remains in its infancy, and many farms—especially those with complex or delicate crops—cannot yet adopt automation at scale.