7.1. On the 22 December 2020, Defra announced that the Seasonal Workers Pilot would be extended and expanded for an additional year in 2021, with 30,000 visas available for those wanting to come and work on UK farms for a period of up to six months. This announcement comes after a long period of close work with industry organisations across the UK, and in particular Scotland, to support local rural economies and soft fruit growers. The extension of the Seasonal Workers Pilot this year will operate in support of the edible horticulture sector only, to help farmers growing UK fruit and vegetables, strengthening the security of our domestic food supply chain. 7.2. The Government is now working swiftly to establish two additional pilot operators ahead of the peak harvesting seasons, in addition to the existing two operators. This step will ensure there is capacity within industry to recruit and fulfil this expanded quota of visas throughout the year. 7.3. The Seasonal Workers Pilot was established to better understand how a bespoke visa category under the new immigration system could meet the needs of UK growers during peak production periods. Defra will continue working with the Home Office to monitor the uptake of visas, along with forecasted supply/demand of seasonal horticultural labour, to ensure that the pilot in its current form is fulfilling its intended purpose. 7.4. In our original submission to this enquiry, Defra outlined the need to prioritise ‘mobilising and strengthening domestic employment’ in these sectors in order to bolster the recruitment pipeline for seasonal labour, as well as ‘supporting investment in productivity through robotics and automation’. This year the government will again work alongside industry to build on last year’s efforts to promote the recruitment and retention of domestic seasonal workers in 2021, as well as leading a review into automation in horticulture which will begin this Spring.