Group blasts visa initiative

THE UK government’s crash programme of visas for foreign poultry workers risks being too little, too late to avert food shortages.

The government’s post-Brexit immigration and trade policies “risk crippling British food security”, and longer-term solutions are needed, British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths said yesterday.

The announcement of a temporary visa scheme for 5 500 poultry workers and 5 000 lorry drivers for the three months to Christmas was “a positive step in the right direction”, he said. Nevertheless, there is a risk that this intervention comes too late.”

“Supply chains are not something that can be switched on and off, so plans for production are already under way and the necessary cutbacks due to labour shortages have been made.”

Trade groups are warning of Christmas shortages for turkeys and toys, and say the three-month visa programme falls well short of what is needed.

Fuel pumps have run dry as panic-buying drains tanks at petrol stations, after energy companies were unable to find enough drivers to make deliveries last week.