Updated: 19/05/2021, 1:45 pm
Boris Johnson has dismissed farming industry fears that a post-Brexit trade deal with Australia and New Zealand could knock many out of business.
Scottish farmers are concerned that a free-trade deal with our Commonwealth cousins could result in small family farms being unable to compete with a flood of cheap food imports.
National Farmers Union Scotland President Martin Kennedy said this morning that any deal which gave unfettered access to the British market would be viewed as a “betrayal” of the industry.
“We’re seriously worried about any sort of fool liberalisation or unfettered access from a country like Australia because that threatens not only the prices but the way we farm here”, he said.
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Seasonal worker shortage branded ‘unnecessary and costly’ The Government has placed British food producers ‘at the bottom of the list’ for migrant workers thanks to ‘unnecessary and costly’ uncertainty surrounding delayed Seasonal Workers Pilot announcements, according to MPs.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee has raised concerns about the British food supply chain’s ability to secure sufficient labour for summer 2021 under the Government’s new immigration policy.
The Committee also challenged the Government’s last-minute approach to finalising the details of the recruitment scheme for overseas seasonal workers.
National Farmers Union Scotland
National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) policy manager David Michie said: