STRAWBERRIES and raspberries are being left to rot in the fields because of the country's booming economy, National Farmers' Union (NFU) leader Ben Gill has warned.

Low unemployment across the country has led to a shortage of seasonal fruit pickers and the union is being forced to appeal to find workers.

Thousands of tonnes of strawberries, cherries and raspberries worth millions of pounds are being left to rot in the fields, said Mr Gill, who farms near Easingwold.

The dearth of pickers is also leading to an increase in the import of fruit like strawberries, he said.

"There is nothing quite like a British strawberry in season. And yet our fruit is being left on the tree or plant because we can't find enough people to pick it.

"We know of growers who have had to leave nearly £1 million of fruit to rot because they can't find enough workers between April and November.

"This is clearly a ridiculous situation and one which is depriving Britain of one of the delights of summer and preventing innovative British farmers from expanding their businesses to take advantage of the upturn in fruit consumption."

Jane Holmes, owner of Strawberry Farms, Birstwith, near Harrogate, said: "It is very difficult to find workers.

"If we had to rely on finding English workers, I think we would probably have to close down - it is a nightmare."

She added that the farm employed foreign students from Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic through an agency instead.

According to NFU figures, imports of strawberries rose 39 per cent in the three years to 1998 - which means British growers now supply less than half of the 72,000 tonnes bought in Britain each year, despite the country's perfect strawberry growing climate.

The union has set up an email address - at nfu.cropsatnfu.org.uk - to enable anyone who wants work as a fruit picker to get in touch.