Union maps out its top priorities for post-brexit

While the threats and uncertainty of Brexit have been widely highlighted in recent months, the opportunities offered to streamline some of the current bureaucratic burden which is borne by farmers was put in the spotlight yesterday.

And mapping out its priorities for legislative change which could ease this burden, NFU Scotland called for changes which would protect the supply chain, introduce proportionality in the areas of penalties, mapping and record keeping – and see legislative decisions based on actual risk rather than perceived “hazard”.

Accepting that there would still have to be a broad harmonisation with the regulatory regime in Europe for trade to continue, union president Andrew Mccornick said: “We aren’t looking for a huge bonfire of legislation here, what we’re calling for is a tidying up at the edges and a reduction in some of the rules which are ill-fitted to the situation in Scotland but which, under the current regime, still have to be complied with.”

He said that a number of these changes would also make sense for the UK and Scottish governments, which often found themselves “tied in knots” trying 0 NFU president Andrew Mccornick called for a plan to enforce needlessly complex and confusing rules and regulations.

“A successful approach to delivering regulation would involve more carrot and less stick, a yellow card warning system for unintentional breaches and encouragement for farmers to do what they do best – providing a safe and affordable supply of food,” said Mccornick.

Launching a major document highlighting where and how these changes could be made, Mccornick listed some of the areas in the union’s sights.

He said that the threecrop rule was a blunt instrument which did little for the environment in Scotland’s already patchwork of different fields and crops yet often restricted farmers’ ability to grow for specific markets.

Sheep EID regulations, the rules on disposal of fallen stock, NVZS, carcase splitting and the way in which plant protection products were judged safe were, he said, other examples of where change could easily be introduced with no negative effects.

Mccornick said that the union would be “pushing at every door” to get these changes taken on board :

“With little in the way of leadership being shown by the politicians, the union wants to be at the forefront in developing the way forward – and we will be speaking with both the UK and Scottish governments,” he said.

Union chief executive, Scott Walker said that while the current argument over where future policy should be made raged amidst accusations of power grabs, the union was clear that the current controls which rested with the Scottish Government should remain there – adding that there was no way a “Defra-centric” settlement would suit Scotland:

“As an example, in previous Uk-wide animal health discussions in the past, despite input from Scotland, Defra claimed that bovine TB and badgers was the most important issue,” he said. “While that might have been true for England and Wales, it just isn’t an issue for us in Scotland – and we need to be able to address the areas which are important to us.”