The Northern Ireland mushroom sector is a risk of disappearing due to post Brexit visa restriction which have left growers unable to hire enough staff.
Speaking on behalf of the province’s eight remaining mushroom farms which together make up an industry which supplies 10% of the UK’s needs, the Northern Ireland Mushroom Growers Association said the sector is in a “desperate state” following Brexit due to lack of labour and rising costs which have left them unable to compete with growers in the Republic.
It has called on the Westminster government to include mushroom pickers on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). Occupations on the list are given dispensations within immigration rules, designed to make it easier for employers to access labour to fill vacancies, including a lower salary threshold and reduced visa fees.
