THERESA MAY'S proposal that the UK seek a free trade area for agri-food goods in its Brexit negotiations has been welcomed by NFU Scotland during their monthly visit to the capital.

Albeit not the ideal scenario of continued EU Single Market access and Customs Union membership which the union had pushed for, it has recognised that in the eight months which are left to strike a deal, the proposal resembles a scenario as close to this as possible.

This week, the union called on MPs to support the position and speaking from London, its president, Andrew McCornick, said: “The agreed position which emerged last week is positive for Scottish agriculture. In particular, the commitment to achieve a free trade area for agri-food shows that the consistent lobbying of NFUS has been heeded.

“Since the outcome of the referendum, NFUS has consistently argued for free and frictionless trade with the EU,” he said. “The proposals within the White Paper suggest that the Prime Minister has stretched the political elastic to achieve something as close as possible to the Customs Union as she can. With the Brexit clock ticking, we must all get behind this plan, as ‘no deal’ is simply not an option.”

Mr McCornick continued: “In our discussions with MPs today, we also highlighted the importance of the UK Government maintaining a strong position on Geographical Indicators. GIs are extremely important for many Scottish producers who go above and beyond to produce premium products such as Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb,” he stressed.

“The recognition of their importance within the White Paper is welcome, however important detail is needed on how a new UK scheme for GIs will work alongside the existing EU scheme,” he continued. “In addition, NFUS is pushing for a commitment from UK Government that protection of GIs will be built in to any future negotiating position for new free trade arrangements with third countries.”

During their Westminster visit, NFUS also met with officials at Defra for an update on the UK Government’s forthcoming Agriculture Bill, where it discussed the policy measures proposed in the union's own ‘Steps to Change’ document and the importance of the forthcoming legislation giving flexibility and scope for Scottish Government to develop the right future policy for Scottish food producers.

Reflecting on the discussions, vice president Martin Kennedy said: “Whilst the political nature of negotiations on frameworks has hindered common agreement on how the frameworks will operate, NFUS is encouraged that there does seem to be agreement between the UK and Scottish governments on the principles governing the new Scottish agricultural policy,” he stated.

“Today’s discussions focused once again on the principles of environmental benefits, productivity improvements and financial stability as set out in NFUS policy document ‘Steps to Change’, and how these principles complement the proposals that were in the Defra Health and Harmony Command Paper earlier this year,” he concluded.