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A shortage of skilled farm workers threatens Britain’s food security, Arla Foods has warned, after 82 per cent of its farmers with a vacancy said very few or no job applicants had the right skills.
The dairy co-operative, which owns the Lurpak and Cravendale brands, employs about 3,700 people in the UK and works with 1,900 farmers. Its survey of 440 farmers found more than half reported that retaining employees had become harder since Brexit and Covid.
Arla said hiring problems had grown from a “labour shortage to a wider skills challenge that could have implications for the long-term resilience of British food production if left unaddressed”.
The survey also points to an ageing workforce. Some 47.7 per cent of the farmers surveyed were over 55, and nearly a fifth were over 65. The most recent government figures on the agricultural workforce show only 5 per cent of farm holders in England were younger than 35.
Paul Dover, Arla’s UK agriculture director, said: “The food supply chain has been facing increasing pressure from workforce challenges for a number of years, and the latest data from our farmers shows the picture is not improving. This is a challenge that will impact beyond the farm, if action isn’t taken.
“Government proposals like the farming roadmap and its efforts to help young people into work through courses in schools are helpful and will go some way to supporting farmers, but the reality is we need intervention much earlier.”
Bas Padberg, managing director of Arla Foods UK, said: “If we want a resilient food system capable of feeding future generations, we must invest in the skills, education and pathways that will build the workforce of tomorrow.”
Roughly a fifth of the farmers surveyed said they needed help to recruit, train and develop the future workforce, while about 14 per cent would prioritise a “nationwide marketing campaign” to attract more talent.
Arla said recent government proposals, including the 25-year farming roadmap and initiatives to help young people into work, were welcome but had “not gone far enough”.
The warning comes as this summer’s widespread drought puts further pressure on food production, with food prices forecast to rise into 2027 as dry conditions hit harvests.
Analysts at Shore Capital said the UK was the closest it had been for many decades to a food security crisis. Vegetable and fruit growers were “particularly exposed” given their dependence on irrigation and consistent soil moisture, the analysts said, while dairy farmers faced acute pressure on milk yields as heat stress affects herds and grass dries up across the country.
Farmers are also contending with subsidy cuts, higher employment costs and potential shortages of fertiliser amid the war in Iran.
The government said: “Attracting bright new talent into agriculture is vital for the future of UK food and farming. Ongoing reforms to the skills system, including a V Level in agriculture, environmental and animal care, will strengthen training routes, reform apprenticeships and improve careers pathways into farming, giving young people the practical, hands-on learning they need to progress.
“Our 25-year Farming Roadmap sets out a clear vision for the future so our farmers can have the confidence once more to invest and feed the nation with pride for generations to come.”
