New PM handed to-do list by Scottish farming group with cost of living 'crisis of confidence' and food security top priorities
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THE new Prime Minister in waiting has already been given a priority to-do list by a Scottish farmers' representative.
Liz Truss has been chosen by the Conservative Party to take over from Boris Johnson as leader of the party after defeating contender, Rishi Sunak.
NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy said: “NFU Scotland urges the new Prime Minister to immediately, on behalf of all consumers, address the brutal ‘here and now’ facing farming and food production whilst delivering an unequivocable commitment to the importance of food security across the UK in the future.
“Unsustainable costs around the likes of electricity and fertiliser are creating a crisis of confidence around food production that Government must tackle as a priority and set the conditions for a thriving farming sector that sees shelves stocked with nutritious, sustainably produced, and affordable British food. That is what the public expect.
“Supporting domestic production and its standards means a change of direction and industry engagement on trade policy. Rather than agriculture being used as a pawn, we need an approach to trade policy that is fair and an agricultural policy that has production at its heart.
“To drive confidence, Government must support and invest in farming. The total Scottish Government budget for agricultural schemes is £637 million, 97 percent of which is derived from Westminster under the UK spending review. Government has committed to support the sector to the end of this parliament, but we need a long-term commitment to invest in farming from the UK Government if this industry, and the tens of thousands of jobs reliant on it, are to thrive.”
