Social affairs ministry inspectors have closed down an asparagus farm in Brabant after it emerged that workers had been picking the vegetable for up to 14 hours a day for six weeks without a break.

The 44 workers on the farm, all from Poland and Romania, also live in housing provided by the farmer, and investigators are now looking into whether or not he paid them properly, the inspectors said.

The company has also fallen short on the safety of its working conditions and on measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The farmer has been told to bring about improvements, and to make sure workers get a break of at least 36 consecutive hours per week, before he can reopen.

Earlier this month, MPs agreed that staffing agencies need to improve the accommodation and transportation they provide to workers they hire out to the meat and market garden industries.