Union stands by trade standards

NFU Scotland has re-stated its long-held position on the guarantees which will be required to ensure a level playing field for the country’ s farmers in any future trade deals.

The move came following a media spat this week between a radio presenter and the new Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross over his voting record as the UK Agriculture Bill was debated in Westminster back in June.

The interview also focused on a press release issued by the Scottish Conservatives following a meeting of the Scottish affairs committee in June which the union felt misrepresented its views

Yesterday the union said it remained adamant that food imported into the UK should be produced to at least equivalent standards as those required of pro - ducers in the UK.

In a statement it said that the union continued to brief MPS and Lords and lobby them to build safe - guards into the legislation to ensure produce imported into the UK must be produced to the standards as those required of domestic producers.

And commenting on the agriculture and trade bills as they stand, it stated that whilst neither explicitly allowed domestic standards of production to be lowered neither did they explicitly rule out the importation of products produced to a lower standard entering the UK.

The union said that despite repeated assurances that the government would safeguard the domestic agriculture sector in the negotiation of trade arrangements, it had so far resisted the inclusion of amendments which would put this into legislation–an outcome which the union described as “deeply disappointing”.