Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin has stressed the ongoing difficulties for Scottish potato seed producers caused by Brexit during a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the lack of a statutory requirement in UK bills to seek the consent of Scottish ministers when legislating in devolved areas.
During the debate on the impact of Brexit on devolution, she stressed, “The 2020 trade and co-operation agreement with Europe failed to include equivalence on seed potatoes, and the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government had no say in the matter.
“The neglect of the seed potato sector represents just one part of a Brexit trade agreement in which Scotland had no say and of which we had no opportunity for scrutiny. At the end of 2020, Westminster’s failure to include an agreement with Europe on equivalence for the sector in the co-operation agreement was an omission that has cost Scottish growers dearly.”
She added that Scottish growers had now lost much of their previous business to Irish farmers who had ‘unfettered access to the EU single market.’
“The seed potato and ware sector are a vital industry in which Scotland is a world-leader, and the varieties of seed potatoes exported from the north-east particularly, are premium products highly desired across Europe,” continued Ms Martin. “Scottish farmers have been disproportionately impacted by EU exit and this is a prime example of the UK Government’s failure to secure, through negotiations with the EU, a needless outcome which could have protected this key Scottish industry from the impacts of EU exit. I urge the UK Government to seek a resolution to this ongoing disaster.”