Ministers announced an extra 800 visas for foreign butchers earlier this month, after post-Brexit and post-pandemic shortages left farms facing the prospect of having to cull animals that had been ready for slaughter.

However, Tom Bradshaw, vice president of the National Farmers’ Union told MPs that the plans do not constitute “an enticing offer” and warned that the meat market will end up relying on foreign imports regardless.

When asked by York Outer MP Julian Sturdy whether the scheme would be enough, Mr Bradshaw told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee:

“Simply no.

“It’s a sticking plaster to get through an immediate crisis, it’s not a long term solution.

“We do hope that those butchers will be able to meet the English language requirement and then apply for the skilled visa.

“So those 800 will hopefully be able to remain at the end of the period because they’ve been able to get onto the full immigration system.

He added: “Quite simply it’s not an attractive scheme.

‘Out of touch’ Boris Johnson accused of ignoring the plight of pig farmers

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“You’ve been told once you’re not welcome, now you’re being told ‘well, you can come while we need you for eight weeks but then you’ve got to disappear home. That is not an enticing offer so it won’t fill the gap.”

Under the plans announced in mid-October, overseas pork butchers will be eligible to apply for six-month visas from the existing allocation in the Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme up until December 31.

Meanwhile, Graeme Dear, chair of the British Poultry Council, told the same session of the “likelihood” there will be a shortage of UK-produced turkeys for Christmas.

Speaking at the Westminster meeting, he suggested that problems may have been fixable if producers had been aware over the summer, but now chances are that the meat will need to come from elsewhere in Europe

“We have been given access through the seasonal workers scheme for up to 5,500 but that finishes on December 31,” he explained.

“We would have loved to have known about that in June, and therefore could have placed enough turkeys for a full Christmas.

“We will do our utmost to make sure that Christmas is as normal as it can be, but there is a likelihood that there will be a shortage.

“Had we known back in June or July that would have been fixed.”

Butcher shortage scheme 'sticking plaster' farming boss says, amid fears of not enough turkeys for Christmas