Written question asked by Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 29 October 2025 (named day). It was answered by Angela Eagle (Labour) on Wednesday, 5 November 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Apples and Pears: Seasonal Workers

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the availability of seasonal labour for the apple and pear industry.

Answer: The Seasonal Worker visa route is hugely important for the horticulture sector, including the apple and pear industry. Government made a total of 43,000 seasonal worker visas available for horticulture in 2025.  The Government has also announced a 5-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route to provide stability and certainty to the horticulture sector, and we can confirm that 41,000 visas will be available for 2026 for the horticulture sector.

Secondary information