Skills shortages can't be solved overnight
The HGV driver shortage has highlighted the centralisation of our distribution system, which, since the demise of the railways and the development of our motorway system, has benefitted the retail sector in terms of economies of scale.
And this has also been the reason for services being provided on a more urbanised basis as we become a more urban population.
But the agricultural industry needs local services. If the combine breaks down, it needs immediate repair; if an animal requires a vet, its treatment cannot wait.
None of these skills are learned overnight. Our workforce has been supported by foreign workers for so long that they were part of the system and masked the real problem, which has been highlighted by the pandemic and the change in immigration laws.
Properly trained staff cannot be produced overnight, but there needs to be a willingness on both sides to solve the problem.
Sarah Norton is a retired rural dweller living near Shrewsbury
