NFU SCOTLAND has written to Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox to request talks over the direction of his efforts to secure post-Brexit trade deals with Australasia.

Union president Andrew McCornick reached out to Mr Fox following recent talks he has held with Australia and New Zealand, and in particular the concern raised by media reports that the Australasian nations would not agree to divide usage of Tariff Rate Quota’s for agri-food products on historic lines after Brexit – a development which could have severe implications for Scotland’s red meat industry in particular.

Mr McCornick said: “Following on from the UK Government’s talks with Australian and New Zealand officials, I have extended an invitation to Mr Fox to meet with me to discuss the UK Government’s position towards future trading partners.

“We need to make sure that we are seeking the best possible deal for farmers when negotiating trade agreements with foreign nations," said Mr McCornick. "Food and drink is the biggest income generator to the Scottish economy, with Scotland’s farmers and crofters as the bedrock to that industry. It is vital that discussions on future trade deals do not take this for granted. I can say in no uncertain terms that the economic prosperity of the islands, villages and towns across Scotland and the UK are linked to profitable food production.

“What we are seeking as a union are international trade deals which do not undercut Scotland’s extremely high standards of production, and which allow us to maximise the provenance of the Scottish product which is our Unique Selling Point in foreign markets."

With those objectives in mind, Mr McCornick said that the 'tenor' of recent discussions with New Zealand and Australian delegates was a concern: "I hope to discuss with Mr Fox the strong need to push for a deal which prioritises food production and directly benefits farmers and those in rural communities.”