Mushroom growers in the north are furious that a seasonal worker visa scheme will cost farmers around £16,000 a year and potentially stymie growth in a sector which is worth more than £60 million a year to the region’s economy.
The new Labour government has confirmed the UK-wide allocation of seasonal worker visas for 2025 will permit 43,000 migrant workers to work in the UK for up to six months.
But the Northern Ireland Mushroom Growers Association (NIMGA) claims the scheme is costing farms up to £8,000 per worker for each six-month period.
This contrasts to the Republic, where workers from anywhere in the world can stay for two years, with the possibility of extension.
It’s a disparity which growers in the north simply can’t compete with, NIMGA says.
Seasonal workers have a critical role in the UK’s farming businesses, but following Brexit, and with it the ending of freedom of movement within the EU, the sector locally has struggled to recruit, which has been a significant barrier to growth.
According to NIMGA, the mushroom industry accounts for 40% of the north’s horticultural output and is valued at £64.25m annually, with potential to increase this figure given the right conditions for growth.
The trade body’s chair John McArdle said: “For every worker coming through the seasonal visa scheme, it costs £8,130. So over a period of two years, this rises to more than £32,000, because every six months we are forced to restart the training and investment again, which is crippling the industry.
“This challenge is compounded by more favourable conditions in the Republic of Ireland, which includes generous government support schemes as well as a visa of up to five years, which enables much more fertile conditions for growth.”
He added: “We have been lobbying both the UK Government and Stormont Executive on the need to bring forward a bespoke visa which would ultimately enable the sector to grow through providing an appropriate visa to enable access to labour, as well as investment in supporting net zero targets and automation.
“Both the Executive and Labour must act now to support the mushroom industry before it disappears.
“As a locally-produced nutritious food source, with significant growth potential, the lack of support for the industry in Northern Ireland stands in stark contrast with a thriving industry in the Republic of Ireland, and one which growers in the north cannot compete with.
“The solution lies in UK Government introducing a fit-for-purpose visa that meets the needs of the industry and economy, and the NI Executive supporting our sector with energy efficiency and ultimately, automation.
“We are urging them to act now before it is too late,” Mr McArdle said.