Tuesday 7 April 2020

Bearing Fruit?

Scottish farmers reportedly produce around a quarter of the soft fruit that is consumed in the UK (with a fairly low carbon footprint). In these days of Covid-19, there was apparently real concern that it would all go to waste without the usual influx of low-paid pickers (there was even talk of flying them in) of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries that traditionally came from Eastern Europe (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/scottish-fruit-farmers-recruit-thousands-locals-save-harvest). Most of the current emergency appears to have been solved by the recruitment of local students (whose courses have been halted) and bar/restaurant staff (whose establishments have closed). What this will do for 'social isolation' and viral spread, however, remains to be seen. I suspect that the fruit farms will not find such ready replacements, if and when, the economy returns to normal.

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