Moray SNP News

MORAY FARMERS “BETRAYED” BY TORIES’ NO DEAL PLANNING

SKY HIGH TARIFFS ON SCOTTISH PRODUCE WILL DEVASTATE LOCAL ECONOMY

SNP MSP for Moray has said that farmers across Moray will feel “betrayed” by the Tory Government’s latest plans for a No Deal Brexit.

The UK government has this week announced plans to remove import tariffs in the event of a No Deal – a move that the SNP and the National Farmers Union says puts home grown produce at a serious disadvantage.

More than half of all Scottish goods exports were sent to Europe in the last quarter, but leaving without a deal means that we will face the EU’s Common External Tariff - with tariffs of around 84% on Scotch Beef, 53% on wheat, 48% on Scotch Lamb and 30% on pork.

Commenting, SNP MSP Richard Lochhead hit out at the plans:  

“Local farmers will quite rightly feel betrayed by the conscious decision of this Tory government to sell-out Scottish produce by applying tariffs on imports way below what will be applied to our own exports.

“Almost half of our exports go to Europe, so a No Deal Brexit would be seriously damaging for Scottish businesses, jobs and the economy.

“With tariffs of up to 84% on our world renowned Scotch Beef or almost 50% of Scotch Lamb, it’s no exaggeration to say that a No Deal will devastate key sectors in Moray.

“Farming and our food and drink industry is vital to rural economies in Scotland and places like Moray cannot afford for our agricultural sector to be thrown under a bus by Boris Johnson.

“This whole sorry state of affairs is the price our local farmers will pay for being taken out of the European Single Market and Customs Union by the Conservatives against our will and illustrates why Scotland should remain in these trade agreements.”

Notes: 

https://www.gov.scot/news/europe-buys-50-percent-of-scottish-goods/

NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick said: 

“Setting a low or zero tariff rate on the importation of key agricultural products, like cereals, eggs, pork, fruit and veg and some dairy produce will place many of our farmers at a significant disadvantage and undermine any efforts to negotiate new trade arrangements.

“Exports of Scottish produce like lamb and beef to the EU face the prospect of crippling tariffs as we are forced to operate to WTO rules. When we have the ambition to double the size of the farming, food and drink industry in Scotland to £30 billion, the tariff schedule, as proposed by the Government, would place that ambition in jeopardy.”