Animal feed and fuel cost increases as a result of the war in Ukraine will have a direct impact on the cost and supply of food in the UK, Scottish MP Deidre Brock has warned.

In these circumstances, said Ms Brock, it was time for the UK government to get behind the domestic agriculture industry – and abandon its ‘laissez-faire’ Brexit trade deal policy.

It is estimated that, with the fighting paralysing a region that produces a significant proportion of total global crop production, food prices for British consumers could rise by as much as 15%.

Ms Brock, the SNP’s Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs spokesperson at Westminster, was leading a debate on food security, and highlighted how the war in Ukraine has come on top of supply chain issues brought about by Brexit – just as it has isolated British farmers from the European Union's proposed €1.5 billion emergency fund to counter food insecurity.

“Even before the war in Ukraine, farmers and food producers in the UK were facing a perfect storm, with prices quickly escalating for fertiliser, fuel, energy and feed," said Ms Brock. "Already this was finding its way into food costs with the highest food inflation in a decade recorded in February, adding to the Tory cost of living crisis.

Read more: Act now to secure UK food supply

“We thankfully have the means in this country to grow and rear our own quality food, so it’s more important than ever that we see that ability nurtured and empowered – starting with a stripping back of the UK government’s laissez-faire approach to foreign trade deals that could see knock-off and low-quality products line our shelves to the detriment of our agriculture sector," she said.

“We warned that farming would feel the worst effects of the Tories’ rock hard Brexit which stopped EU nationals coming to work here and created new red tape and barriers to trade. That is having an impact on our food security.

"Empty supermarket shelves may not be our only worry if the UK government doesn’t act," continued Ms Brock. "Farmers need a package of support, similar to the proposals in the EU, to strengthen food security and assist agriculture workers. We may see devastating global effects of this war and the insecurity it’ll cause before too long – it’s crucial we are prepared.”