Meat processing, by its nature, has some jobs that can be easily automated, but many still need the dexterity and knife skills only a human can provide.

The British meat industry has automated very successfully over the years and continues to adopt new technologies as they are developed. But innovation has still not managed to replicate the efficiency and output of a skilled butcher. So, there’s a constant demand for trained knife-workers which, in the UK, cannot be filled by British workers.

We need migrant workers to step in and fill these key roles in our strategically important industry. But, this sustained labour shortage, made worse by Brexit as our access to EU workers was curtailed, has been hampering growth in the sector.

Part of the issue has been the recent lack of certainty over immigration policy which has created an unstable business environment and made it more difficult to plan future investment. This has been exacerbated by the latest change to immigration rules that has seen the minimum salary threshold for a skilled worker rise to £38,700. We’ve written about the unintended consequences of this here.

People are our most important asset, so BMPA is advocating on behalf of its member for a more granular, sector-by-sector approach to immigration policy which would take into account the unique recruitment issues different industries face.