ONE of Herefordshire's biggest producers of berries is making 2018 his year of the dragon.

But while Angus Davidson’s Haygrove Farm enterprise at Ledbury is expanding around the world, most recently as far as China, the implications here at home in the wake of Brexit are proving a headache for him as well as farmers and growers all over the country who rely on migrant workers to pick their fruit.

Mr Davidson, who founded Haygrove Fruit in 1998, has challenged the Prime Minister over the proposed end of freedom of movement next year which he claimed would pose major difficulties for the UK soft fruit industry.

He has spelt out his fears in a letter to Theresa May explaining that unless a seasonal workers’ scheme is put in place, Brexit is likely to have a severe impact on what is an important rural industry.

Haygrove has succeeded in expanding into China, having already developed interests in South Africa and Portugal, so business is strong.

The enterprise has just had to clarify this latest news after a national newspaper suggested that Haygrove was moving part of the business to China.

In fact the concern will be growing berries in China for a Chinese market, so there is no question of outsourcing Haygrove.

Communications’ manager Ralph Dickinson said: “We grow fruit in other parts of the world and this is a great opportunity for expansion.”

He made clear that Haygrove was “not outsourcing”, but growing fruit in China for the country’s domestic market.

As a contingency plan, Haygrove has had to cut 200 seasonal jobs, a reaction mirrored across the farming sector, said Mr Dickinson.

“Obviously we can’t wait and see what happens, we have to pick fruit while it’s there.”

Most fruit growers in the county experience difficulties in attracting workers from the local workforce, so that seasonal workers from Eastern Europe have become vital to fruit farmers.

With Brexit looming next year, Mr Davidson stressed the reason why farmers in the UK depend on migrant labour.

“The lack of UK people wanting to pick is absolutely not due to earning ability,” he said.

“Last year we had many fruit pickers regularly earning over £500 a week and the fastest picker earned £1,000 in a week.”

He added: “The simple truth is that this type of farm work is physically very demanding, unemployment in Herefordshire is 1.3 per cent, other physically easier work is available and it is hard to get a mortgage on a seasonal job.”

Mr Davidson claimed that seasonal farm jobs across the world tended to be done by people from other countries. “This is a fresh food industry reality. We interview every person who comes here in their own country first and 99 per cent are absolutely wonderful people, deserving of the opportunity to get on in their life from tough beginnings, it is an absolute pleasure to be able to offer them this.”