Brexit could push up fruit and vegetable prices

Some of the claims made in relation to Brexit do seem to be exaggerated, particularly when one considers that we do not know what the final settlement will be (my best guess is that the EU and the UK will reach a deal and it will get through the House of Commons with the support of Labour dissidents).

However, this article suggests that higher fruit and vegetable prices could lead to a large number of early deaths: 5,600 deaths a year

Indeed, the article admits: 'Analysing the potential implications of Brexit is a tricky business. The concrete details of Brexit remain unclear. Proposals range from various forms of “soft Brexit” that include a new trade agreement with the EU, to a “hard Brexit” in which the UK falls back on the (higher) tariffs set out by the World Trade Organization.'

What is needed is for domestic policy to have a greater focus on growing fruit and vegetables, both for health reasons and to respond to the greater number of consumers who are vegetarians and vegans. That is lacking in current proposals.

Migrant labour supply problem worsens

Growers of fruit and vegetables are reconsidering their investment plans as it becomes more difficult to recruit migrant labour from elsewhere in the EU. Some may relocate to eastern or central Europe: Pickers shortfall

According to a report in The Guardian: '“The perception from overseas is we are xenophobic, we’re racist, and the pound has plummeted too. We’ve gone with Brexit and that makes us look unfriendly.” Those are the words of John Hardman, director of Hops Labour Solutions, which supplies about 12,000 workers a year to food-growers. He reckons that when it comes to “food-picking jobs in agriculture – which means everything from strawberries to brussels sprouts”, there is currently a Brexit-related shortfall of about 20%, which chimes with recent surveys by the National Farmers Union.'