Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the tonnage of UK fruit and vegetables that were not harvested and left in the fields as a result of a shortage of seasonal workers.

Defra produces annual estimates of horticultural crop production. These estimates include tonnage, value and imports/exports which allow the Government to monitor productivity and competitiveness within the industry including supply and self-sufficiency. No estimates are made for the tonnage of crops left unharvested for any reason. As a result, no data is available to answer this question.