Scottish seed potato producers have warned that they continue to face issues resulting from Brexit. The warning came as Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin and Gordon MP Richard Thomson met with seed potato farmer John Lind and NFUS (National Farmers Union Scotland) chairman of the north-east Scotland region Andrew Connon, to discuss the sector.
After the meeting, Gillian Martin MSP commented, “The NFUS have consistently argued for frictionless and unfettered access to the European market and have been let down by the UK Government. Having the outlet of the single market and the customs union has been vital to Scottish agriculture and without that access it is clear the impact has been hugely detrimental.
“In the case of seed potatoes what the UK Government’s Brexit agreement has done has cut off existing EU customers from the Scottish seed potatoes they have relied on for decades. The impact of even a year of not being able to supply their clients will be devastating for the future of this sector in Scotland. This is yet another example of a key Scottish industry being disproportionately impacted by the UK’s exit from the European Union.”
Andrew Thompson MP added, “Far from capturing new markets, the story of Brexit to date for farmers and food producers has been one of UK Government incompetence seeing export market share being threatened, while making it harder to compete domestically.
“Farmers and food producers all across Europe and further afield are desperate to be able to access Scottish seed potatoes and our farmers and food producers need the free, unfettered access to EU markets that the EU is still enjoying in UK markets.”