Could Defra campaign solve seasonal farmworker shortage?

Defra is to send staff members to work on farms this summer to educate them about life on a working farm – and help fill the expected seasonal labour shortage.

There are some 3,500 staff working at Defra, including policymakers, scientists and research specialists.

Internally, the scheme has been named the Deployment of Employees on Farms for Rural Advancement – a clever play on the Defra name.

See also: How to recruit and get the best from your harvest students

The initiative is aimed at helping policymakers and administrators understand the impact of their decisions at a practical farm level.

Defra spokesman Flair Polo explained: “Defra staff have faced accusations of being out of touch with farmers. There is this image of them sat in their ‘ivory towers’ in London barking out ill-informed policy orders to farmers, which is unfair.

“But staff are determined to prove the doubters wrong and show they don’t mind getting their hands dirty and get stuck into a summer of great British farming. They have been cooped up inside during Covid for weeks.”

Farms will be paid for hosting the Defra personnel, but many farmers will be unsurprised to learn that details on the payment rates are still to be ironed out. Defra is looking to creatively co-design rates with help from the industry.

Survival kit

Workers will be given a “farm survival kit” to help them get accustomed to life in a rural setting.

This will include:

• Branded overalls and a pair of dealer boots
• A glossary of farming terms (so they can understand farming folk)
• Can of air freshener to ward off pongy agricultural odours, such as manure and silage effluent
• A tub of elbow grease, sky hooks and spirit level bubbles
• A roll of blue paper towel to clear up the mess they have made
• 10 packs of Tooty Frooties each and a box of Liquorice Allsorts.

Defra staff have been thrilled to learn they will be given a payphone card to use to call home if they are unlucky enough to be placed on a farm with dreadful broadband speeds or no mobile phone connection.

NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts said: “The NFU’s Farm Live lessons, which attracted tens of thousands of primary school kids, have been great preparation for welcoming this new generation of urban farmers.

“Farming here in Hertfordshire just 24 miles from Defra’s main office, we’ll be welcoming them with open arms.”