The Labor Shortage in British Egg farm leads to shrinkage in production

According to a survey assessing the impact of Brexit by the British Egg Industry Council, 30% of those employed in egg production on farms are EU migrants, and 50% of those employed in packing centers are EU migrants.

Despite the government’s effort to impose schemes, such as Seasonal Workers Scheme and support for automation in the sector, the experts estimate that there is a deficit of 0.5 million workers out of 4.1 million roles across the food and farming sector. Particularly, skilled workers are needed in the food supply sector, such as in the logistic area or other farm activities that cannot be automated.

Lack of workers led to shrinkage of production by 5% to 15% for the most part of the farms. Many entrepreneurs were forced to raise their wages to attract more skilled workers; however, the positive impact was marginal, raising production costs and selling prices, making domestic products less competitive and increasing imports.