Over the last decade pip fruit growers in the UK have seen margins and profits almost totally disappear, as market returns have been pinned down by competitive supermarket trading and abundant global supplies being available; and more recently, huge pressures on increased costs. In austere times the expensive "overhead" of regular full-time labour has become a luxury, with growers not replacing those at retirement, alongside a stronger inclination to make employees redundant. Today, greater use of "contract labour" — enabling growers to only use when and where necessary — and extended season of employment for new EU workers initially employed at harvest time, has addressed the "man-hours" requirement of orchard work.
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