Could 'rent-a-robot' schemes ease UK farm picker shortage?

Could robots which pick and pack food be the answer to farmers wanting to get their produce to shops and supermarkets more easily?

The NFU says 70,000 pickers are needed, but only 40,000 visas have been given to foreign workers - and there are not enough people in this country willing to step in.

Instead, experts say robots could soon be used to help out, with the technology developing quicker than ever.

At one farm in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, several of the UK's asparagus growers have gathered to see one in action.

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10 August 2022