WITH an impassioned plea on behalf of Scotland’s farmers, fishermen and food and drink producers, SNP MP Angus MacNeil has given his backing to The National’s campaign to Save Our Scotland Brand.
The MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, the Western Isles, gave his thoughts on Brexit and its possible effects on Scotland’s exports of food and drink, while endorsing the growing campaign for Scotland always to be recognised as the country of origin for produce ranging from whisky to smoked salmon.
MacNeil said: “In all of the negotiations and whatever follows Brexit, it is crucial that we keep promoting Scotland’s food and drink as quality produce, and that can only be done by retailers acknowledging the correct country of origin of the items they sell.”
The National’s campaign for Scotland’s brand, alongside that of bloggers and social media users, has caused retailers to think again about calling items British when they are grown in Scotland.
Earlier in our campaign we told how the Marks & Spencer website listed Scotch whisky as coming from “Great Britain” – a description that was altered to Scotland after The National informed the firm’s public relations team.
MacNeil, who is the SNP’s environment and rural affairs spokesman at Westminster, picked up on that theme yesterday in an analysis that was produced before the First Minister met with the Prime Minister.
MacNeil stated: “Scotland’s food and drink industry is a global success and deserves its world- renowned status. The success of the industry is well known.
“It is now worth more than £14 billion; turnover has increased by 35 per cent since 2007; exports are at record levels; the birth rate of new businesses in the Scottish food and drink sector is higher than anywhere in the United Kingdom; and it covers communities across the land.”
It is the quality of those Scottish products that need to be emphasised, he said, hence his support for Saving Our Scotland Brand.
MacNeil said: “At the heart of that success has been Scotland’s reputation, and the passion, dedication and entrepreneurship of the thousands of people who work across the industry.
“Our primary producers are the foundation and we must give credit to our farmers, crofters and fishermen. Without them, Scotland wouldn’t produce the high-quality food and drink that we can celebrate.”
Yesterday we reported on the case of Fife strawberry farmer John Mitchell. He said he will not be able to grow the crop and that the industry could collapse overnight if migrant workers are not allowed into the UK to pick the Scottish soft fruits that are prized everywhere on these islands.
MacNeil said: “The EU is currently our biggest international food and drink export market, and a hard Brexit is only going to bring uncertainty to an estimated 8000 non-UK EU nationals employed in that sector, plus the 15,000 non-UK seasonal migrant workers employed to harvest vegetables and soft fruit in the summer and autumn. Many businesses depend on these workers – where are the government’s clear options for their replacement?”
MacNeil went on: “The SNP Scottish Government is working tirelessly to ensure that the food and drink sector builds upon the last 10 years of improvement and has recently published the new industry-led food and drink strategy, Ambition 2030, with the aim of doubling the value of the industry to £30bn by 2030.
“Working with industry will ensure farmers, fishermen, manufacturers and buyers work in close partnership to ensure that greater profitability is rightfully and fairly shared across the industry.
“The SNP understand how imp-ortant the industry is to Scotland’s wider economy and we are taking action where we can. But it is worrying to see the UK Government seemingly charging head-first into a calamitous ‘no-deal’ Brexit.
“A ‘no deal’ risks inflicting serious economic damage to rural jobs and businesses and it is already clear that many businesses will struggle to operate without access to EU workers.
“But this isn’t just a political point to be made. Stakeholders across the industry have warned against the Tories’ reckless Brexit plans.”
MacNeil quoted James Withers, the chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink, as warning of “alarm bells ringing in the food industry” any time the UK Government asserts that no deal is better than a bad deal.
He went on: “Key Scottish producers have warned that Britain faces food shortages unless the UK Government’s Brexit plan includes continuing freedom of movement. But the Tories aren’t listening, wanting to carry on regardless placating their anti-immigration, “pull up the drawbridge” brigade.
“Staying in the single market is crucial, but what about sectoral immigration policies, or a diverging policy for Scotland? We have seen this work successfully in New Zealand, Canada and Switzerland for a number of years, so the question is why can’t it work in the UK? The answer is, it can – but the government simply doesn’t want to know.
“We are at a crucial juncture with Brexit now. The Government is in chaos and has no idea whether its key legislation will even pass.
“We need to seize these opportunities, put pressure on this weak government, and ensure the future of our food and drink sector is protected in a post-Brexit world.”
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