NFUS PRESIDENT Andrew McCornick has met jointly with Cabinet Secretaries Fergus Ewing and Roseanna Cunningham in the Scottish Parliament to discuss the NFUS Change document: 'A new agricultural policy for Scotland post-Brexit'.

Mr McCornick said: “With the UK Government's negotiations to leave the EU still ongoing, uncertainty exists as to what tools will be available to Scotland for a Scottish agricultural policy; how much funding will be available; how we will meet food and farming’s labour needs and what will be the future trading arrangements between the UK and Europe as well as the UK and the rest of the world.

“Setting a concrete direction of travel is at present very difficult and it was clear from discussions with both Cabinet Secretaries that greater certainty is required from the UK Government on future agricultural funding and the freedom that Scotland will have to determine the correct agricultural policy needed for Scotland's farmers and crofters.

“We also pressed the case that any future agricultural policy must involve securing a fairer supply chain," said Mr McCornick. "There would be huge benefits to farmers, crofters and the national economy if the supply chain were to deliver for all. NFUS has set out a vision for the future in its discussion document and will continue to discuss with its members how best this can be achieved.”