Time for UK Government to stop undermining Scotland’s young farmers, says Roddick

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament last week, Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick urged the UK Government to take action on the effects of post-Brexit trade deals on new entrants to Scotland’s farming sector.

She highlighted recent comments by the NFU President, Minette Batters, who described them as “really bad trade deals for the UK”.

Commenting, Roddick said:

“There are no two ways about it – the Tory Government’s disastrous Brexit is ruining the livelihoods of Scottish farmers and discouraging young people from entering the sector.

“The president of the NFU has said that her worst fear in the Brexit process was that farmers would be used as pawns in the process of negotiating new trade deals with the rest of the world, and that is exactly what has happened.

“If we want our young people to consider careers in agriculture, they need to know that their job is secure and not threatened by the import of low-standard produce from other parts of the world with weaker environmental and food safety standards.”