'I work away from home for months growing cabbages'

Ilhomjon Khudoyberdiev is sending money back to his extended family in Tajikistan

Ilhomjon Khudoyberdiev used to have a comfortable job selling heating systems in Tajikistan.

Now he spends several months of the year thousands of miles away from his family, growing cabbages for British supermarkets in a field in Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire.

He is one of 36 Tajik workers spending the winter at Hammond Produce on six-month seasonal worker visas.

Jon Hammond, the firm's managing director, said the cost of shopping bills would "sky-rocket" without workers like Mr Khudoyberdiev and his colleagues.

Tajik workers use netting to protect newly-planted cabbages from birds

Mr Khudoyberdiev says he lost his old job in 2021 after the war in Ukraine stopped supplies of the equipment he was selling in Tajikistan.

"Everybody needs work and money," he said. "I needed a job, that's why I came to the UK, and I like it."

Mr Khudoyberdiev says he could only make around $1,000, the equivalent to about £800, per month in Tajikistan.

Seasonal workers at Hammond Produce earn at least the minimum wage, known officially as National Living Wage, which is currently £11.44 an hour for over 21s.

Missed son's birth

He said: "I earn money here, [then go back] home and spend six months with my family."

This is Mr Khudoyberdiev's third winter working away from his wife and children, who he keeps in touch with via WhatsApp and email.

He faced a difficult moment last winter when he missed the birth of his baby son.

"I was happy, but I wanted to go home and see him," Mr Khudoyberdiev said, adding his wife told him to stay and finish his work.

Mr Hammond employs dozens of overseas workers on seasonal visas

Mr Hammond said it was "fantastic" to see Mr Khudoyberdiev's elation at the birth of his son "despite him being thousands of miles from home" at the time.

His company farms two-and-a-half thousand acres in Nottinghamshire and says the entire UK food industry is reliant on overseas workers.

He said: "It's extremely difficult to find UK nationals prepared to do this kind of work for the remuneration that we can offer.

"Everyone is on the minimum wage or above, but it's tough work, very physically demanding."

Mr Hammond added: "Without any shadow of a doubt, the cost of our weekly shop would go through the roof. It would sky-rocket."

The government's seasonal agricultural worker scheme will see 43,000 visas be made available to the horticultural industry in 2025.

Future plans

Seasonal workers are unable to accept a permanent job or bring family members with them.

On 25 February, the government announced it would be extending the visa scheme for five years.

However, at the time, Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: "That on it's own is not the long-term solution.

"We will reduce the number of seasonal workers coming to the UK in the future.

"But I recognise your business needs stability over the coming years as we work at pace to embrace innovation, develop the agri-tech and invest in farming practices so you can reduce your reliance on seasonal workers as quickly as possible."