Scottish farmers and growers would be those most affected in the event of a no-deal Brexit according to reports.
The claims come after the Government published its most recent proposals on temporary agricultural tariffs, which would see tariff safeguards removed from a range of imported goods including grains, eggs, and fruit and vegetables.
As a result NFU Scotland has written to Scottish Secretary of State Alister Jack and Secretary of State for the Department for International Trade Liz Truss, having previously raised the issue with both the Prime Minister and Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers.
NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick said, “A ‘no deal’ exit from the EU would be damaging enough, but a ‘no deal’ exit under the proposed tariff regime would hammer Scottish food and farming.
“To date, the UK government has failed to recognise that asymmetrical treatment of the different agricultural sectors severely exposes those with no tariff protection to competition from agricultural goods, produced to standards that are in-equivalent and most probably illegal in the UK, flooding the market tariff-free.
“My dismay is that, despite repeated efforts since March when the updated tariff regime was first published, none of these very real and pressing concerns have been taken account of.”
NFU President Minette Batters said last week, “Not only could this be terrible news for farmers, whose very businesses will be under threat, but also for consumers who enjoy the high quality and affordable British food they produce.”
Photo caption: NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick
Photo source: NFUS