A CENTURY-old family farm which employs up to 1,200 seasonal migrant pickers to harvest its annual asparagus crop fears they may be short of numbers because of Brexit fears.

Cobrey Farms at Coughton near Ross-on-Wye started harvesting this season’s crop last week, but is still appealing for workers to join them.

Traditionally, workers from Romania and Bulgaria have flocked to the Chinn family’s Wye Valley site to pick the asparagus, but although enough have signed up, farm bosses fear many will not turn up given the confusion over Brexit.

Elina Kostadinova, harvest manager, told Sky News: “They are confused and we are confused trying to tell them the information from government.

“We think we have enough for this season but we don’t now how many will decide not to show up... it’s easier for them to stay in other EU countries like Germany or France.”

There is a narrow season for Cobrey’s premium asaparagus, which can grow up to six inches a day, and is in great demand from buyers such as Tesco and Marks and Spencer.

And any shortfall in numbers turning up to harvest the crop means the asparagus will be left in the ground to rot, threatning profits and meaning stores will have to import more from overseas.

A fifth of workers scheduled to arrive at the farm earlier this year, where they stay in static caravans, reportedly failed to turn up amid the Brexit uncertainty, while others are delaying travel plans amind fears of a no-deal Brexit and uncertainty over employment rights.