Shoppers will play a big part in cutting back on illegal imports

Consumer choice will have a big role to play in restricting imports of any foodstuffs produced using techniques or products which might be illegal for UK farmers to use, it has emerged.

While reiterating recent UK government promises that the headline issues of chlorinated chicken and hormone beef would not be allowed into the country under any future trade deals, parliamentary undersecretary at the Scotland Office, Douglas Ross MP yesterday told farmers at the NFU Scotland conference that clear labelling and information would allow the public to decide on other products such as beef from Uganda:

“It’s very clear that to the consumer it’s very important to be clear about what’s being produced and how it’s being produced and I’m extremely confident that when the public see that they’ll buy locally produced Scottish and UK products.”

Admitting that the issue still had to be looked at he said that he would take the feedback from the conference forward into any discussions. Asked on the specific demands from the industry that food standards commission was set up to vet the details of any trade deal he said that Defra was keen to look into this possibility.

● There was confusion over the future arrangements for Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) which is crucial to ensure that labour was available to harvest the country’s fruit and veg.

Ross later clarified that the proposed second pilot scheme which would allow 10,000 migrant workers to enter would be introduced in 2020 rather than 2021 as he had earlier indicated.