Scottish seed tattie growers are being ‘thrown under the bus’ according to NFU Scotland vice president Andrew Connon, who has highlighted a Defra back door deal allowing English farmers to sneak in EU potatoes for planting.

Speaking at a political round table at Turriff Show, the Methlick farmer warned that the Scottish seed potato sector is in major financial difficulties due to the ban on exports into the EU following Brexit. Adding insult to injury, he pointed out that English growers were continuing to secure supplies of seed potatoes grown in the EU by importing the produce direct from the continent for their own use.

There was even, noted Mr Connon, a modest amount of farmers planting EU seed potatoes imported as ‘small ware potatoes’. Addressing Defra secretary Victoria Prentis, who attended the event, Mr Connon expressed fury that the UK was allowing the EU to supply potatoes for planting to English growers, actively pushing Scottish supplies out of the domestic market.

He said: “Bona fide seed potatoes can come from Europe as long as growers buy direct from an European merchant for their own use. Defra have made the loophole and encouraged English specialist growers to get continental seed.

"Defra made the back door – it is there in the rules in black and white. Instead of resolving the issue, Defra say Scottish growers should go after new markets. But any business person worth their salt knows it is easier to retain existing markets than to try and establish new ones.”

Historically 20,000t of Scottish seed would be exported to the EU annually, before Brexit slammed the door shut. Speaking to growers, The Scottish Farmer understands many are retaining the varieties which continental buyers demand in the hope that the trade resumes soon. However, they say this continuity will only last so long and once it stops, the trade is likely to be lost forever.

Ms Prentis admitted that the Trade and Co-operation agreement with the EU did not work in some areas, such as seed potatoes. The Banbury MP said: “We continue to work on it but we don’t have all the solutions. But we have not been able to get an agreement – you can't agree with people who don't want to. It is one step forward with the EU and two steps back.”

The Minister accepted that English growers were able to obtain EU potatoes which were being used for planting but refused to accept the union's demand that this import trade be banned. She said the Government felt that would be a step too far, preferring that Scottish producers and English growers sort out the issue between themselves.

The impasse revolves around the sanitary and phytosanitary rules which set the conditions which govern how plants are grown. At the heart of the debate is the UK's refusal to accept ‘dynamic alignment’ with these EU rules, as this might be perceived as ceding control back to Brussels. It would also be an issue if the UK was to embrace gene editing technology.