Warnings of a crisis in farming due to a shortage of workers has come from MPs looking at the impact of Brexit.
Fruit and vegetables have already been left to rot in fields, reported Westminster’s environment, food and rural affairs (EFRA) committee.
EFRA Secretary Michael Gove promised he would introduce a Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) “shortly” at the start of this year.
But Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes told the committee an SWAS was unlikely to be brought in this year and potentially not until 2020.
EFRA chairman Neil Parish, Conservative, said the sector was at a crisis point and action must be taken immediately.
“There has clearly been a breakdown in communication between Defra and the Home Office over the SWAS,” Mr Parish said.
“The agricultural industry is reaching a crisis point.
“In February, Michael Gove has stated that an announcement over SAWS would be made ‘shortly’, but today we have heard that it is unlikely to happen in 2018. This is simply not good enough.
“The Home Office and DEFRA should take the SAWS seriously and action should be taken at the earliest possible moment.
“The UK’s food and agricultural sectors are hugely reliant on foreign labour.
“This is unsustainable. Food has been left to rot in the ground this year due to labour shortages.”
In a separate Westminster committee session on the same day, Angus MP Kirstene Hair told Home Secretary Amber Rudd the SWAS must come forward “within weeks” as industry is reliant on a temporary workforce from EU countries.
“No one wants to see fruit rotting in the fields because of a shortage of labour,” the Scottish Conservative MP said.
“We cannot afford to just hope for the best any more – we need urgent action from the Home Office to ensure we have the people we need.”
Ms Rudd said she would need some time to set the scheme up but she was “looking at the best way” of doing this.
“I am sympathetic and trying to make sure we have a system that could assist your farmers,” she said.
“It is going to take a little time to set up and I will be coming forward shortly.”
The demands for urgent action were welcomed by National Farmer’s Union (NFU) Scotland president Andrew McCornick, who said the calls were “completely in line with the evidence we have been receiving from members over the last few months”.
He said: “We already rely heavily on EU workers but it is the opinion of the Union the Government needs to introduce an immediate seasonal workers scheme in order to attract badly-needed non-EU workers to Scotland.
“NFU Scotland has been asking the UK Government to implement a seasonal workers scheme for some time now and it is getting to the point that if nothing is done soon then we will see serious crop losses, especially at the tail end of the season.
“Something needs to be done and it needs to be done now.”