As she embarks on her final term as a Director of the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC), fruit and hop grower Ali Capper asserts that nostalgia about agriculture must be left at the farm gate and replaced with a more businesslike approach.
She has also broadly welcomed the new Government, stating that Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet appears to offer “good potential” for investing in growth and demonstrating a “more common sense” outlook towards seasonal workers, proven to be essential for the UK’s harvest, particularly in the fruit and vegetable sector.
The Migration Advisory Committee – independent advisers to the Government on immigration matters – has echoed years of industry lobbying on the importance of the Seasonal Workers Scheme (SWS), and its recently released review report calls for more certainty and clarification on visa numbers, mirroring the National Farmers’ Union’s call for a rolling five-year programme.
“A move away from a hard right immigration policy is very welcome,” explained Ms Capper. “This new Government’s outlook towards seasonal labour seems much more common sense. The bottom line is we can’t pick fruit and vegetables without hands and anything that makes getting those workers out in the field must be good news.”
Generations of Secretaries of States and Shadow Ministers have seen the OFC as a must-attend platform to address the agricultural industry. Defra Secretary Steve Reed already has one under his belt, visiting in January while still in opposition.
In a similar vein to her comments on seasonal labour, Ms Capper will be pushing for the new administration to “sort borders out” as well as “the UK’s relationship with the EU.”
“The border operating models we have at the moment are not working and it needs sorting out to encourage growth in trade,” she says.
Britain is currently only 40% self-sufficient in apple and pear production.
“There is no reason that with the right investment from our new Government – be that through grants, tax incentives, accessibility to labour and research and innovation investment – that this couldn’t rise to 60% or 70% or even double to 80%. We just need that investment in growth.”
Ms Capper first attended the Oxford Farming Conference – which next takes place between January 8th to 10th 2025 – when she was invited to speak in 2017.
OFC Chair, Geoff Sansome, said “it will be interesting” to see which of Ms Capper’s asks are acted upon, adding that he will be keenly watching what the new Labour administration’s Cabinet Secretary achieves in his first 100 days in office.
“Steve Reed spoke back in January at OFC 2024 and said that ‘food security is national security’ and has also recently committed to continuing with Environmental Land Management incentives.”
“The OFC is one of those rare places where Ministers can be held to account for their promises within an audience that is leading the sector, a network of influential people that will keep asking for change if they don’t see it forthcoming. The conference delegates really do represent the ‘who’s who’ in British agriculture, which is why Ministers, and their shadows always welcome the chance to address our event.”
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