NFUS: Tory aid pledge ‘is just a drop in the ocean’
The promise of equalising farm support payments across the UK made in the Tory leadership contest gained a cautious welcome from Scottish farming organisations over the weekend – however the suggested figure of £25 million was condemned as “a drop in the ocean” when compared with the losses which would be suffered by the industry under a nodeal Brexit scenario.
Speaking yesterday, NFU Scotland president Andrew Mccornick said that he would be seeking clarification as to how the pledge made by boris johnson for greater support would be funded amongst competing demands on HM Treasury.
He also said that any move to address the contentious EU convergence uplift situation which had been stuck in the throat of Scottish farmers since 2013 was welcome – as the monies had been allocated on the basis of Scotland having the lowest per hectare support figure in Europe.
With a review into intrauk allocations of funding currently underway, he said that NFU Scotland had fed in its strong view that what he termed “this injustice” had to be redressed due to Scotland’s continued below average area payment rates.
Mccornick said that at least the same level of funding should continue to be ring fenced for Scotland’s farmers after Brexit.
But he warned that the union maintained that a no deal outcome was not acceptable – with the current proposals for this scenario threatening to see high tariffs imposed on UK exports while cheap food produced to lower standards could still come into the country at a reduced tariff rate.
“The new prime minister must recognise that in such an event, the market support required by industry from government will be significant and will far surpass £25m, which will be a drop in the ocean compared to the financial damage that could be inflicted on industry,” said Mccornick.
• While the invitation issued to both Johnson and Jeremy Hunt – who had earlier promised a £6 billion support package for UK agriculture in the event of a no-deal Brexit – to meet with the union during their visit to Scotland had not been taken up, a reply had been received from Hunt.