How Scots farmers and producers have met the challenge of feeding the nation

The support given to Scottish farming, food and drink throughout the pandemic has been unprecedented and reinforces how much Scottish shoppers value healthy, nutritious, local produce and the standards to which it is grown or reared.

The concerning sight of empty shelves and panic buying in the early days of the pandemic delivered some hugely positive lessons on food security and standards. Our stuttering emergence from the pandemic and departure from the European Union in a few short months keeps food security at the top of the agenda.

As food producers, we meet some of the highest production and welfare standards in the world and provide assurances that guarantee the delivery of

quality Scottish food and drink to the table.

At the start of the pandemic, I pledged our farmers and crofters would do everything they could to ensure the nation’s plates and glasses remained full and we have stepped up to the challenge.

Our commitment has seen supermarkets, stores and shops able to trade safely in the past five months rewarded with soaring sales for Scottish produce and growing customer numbers. Those able to provide a quality service delivering quality produce – farm shops, doorstep milk and veg box deliveries, butchers to name a few – have seen their customer base soar.

And bolstered by the Eat Out to Help Out campaign, Scottish consumers can once again get behind those restaurants, cafes, bars and takeaways that source locally and guarantee Scottish food and drink tops the menu.

The frailties exposed in our food chain during Covid give us an opportunity to drive change for the benefit of farmers and of consumers. The way the food chain currently operates has had a profound impact on the returns to farmers and crofters for many years.

This month, the average price dairy farmers will receive for milk will be around 27p per litre. The average milk price received by farmers in July 1996 was 26.7p per litre.

A report on soft fruit has shows strawberry values have “remained static” since 1996 despite increasing grower costs. Wholesale egg prices are the same as they were in 2011. The retail price of beef mince today is the same as it was nine years ago.

We believe that Scottish and UK shoppers want a retail sector that delivers value for money, protects the environment, supports home-produced food and drink and rewards those that supply it fairly and equitably.

With the ongoing support of Scottish shoppers, we can ensure that risk and reward across the whole food supply chain – from farm gate to shop shelf – is shared fairly.

Small steps can make a big difference and the public has the ability to vote with their feet and support those local businesses, big or small, where the best interests of Scottish food and farming in the future are being served. ● Andrew Mccornick is the president of NFU Scotland