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Fergus Ewing says No Deal would be disaster
Fergus Ewing MSP
Address to NFUS AGM
Glasgow 8th February 2019
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy praised Scottish farmers for the strength and resilience they had shown over the last year in the face of difficult weather conditions – rain, snow and storms followed by drought over the summer months. He also commended the 'looking out for each other' attitude to mental well being. click below to listen to the full unedited speech.
He then went on to say:-
“These are difficult times in politics, it looks increasingly likely that Scotland will have to leave the EU with the UK and no deal in place in just seven weeks time.
“A No Deal Brexit would be disastrous for Scottish farming and food production. There is no sector that faces a series of identifiable and foreseeable and clear threats than yours.
“I promise this, there may be only 49 days to go but we will keep working together and I and my colleagues in the Scottish Government will continue to do all we can to persuade the UK Government to take the No Deal Brexit off the table.
“I also want to assure you that whilst hoping for the best we are of course, as a responsible government, preparing for the worst. We have teams of officials spending thousands of hours preparing for a No Deal.
“We have established a Food Resilience Group on a more formal footing and I Chair the discussions with a wide range of businesses represented. Myself and the Rural Affairs minister are fully involved. So I want you to know that your needs as suppliers and exporters of food, with responsibilities that you have for the care and welfare of livestock are at the centre of our work.
“Last month the Scottish Parliament supported my call to ensure that we legislate for rural Scotland in the future. I can guaranteed that any legislation needed for the effective and efficient functioning of farming and rural support post Brexit will be introduced in this parliamentary session.
“That is our day job, it is basic to us, it is not difficult, it is what we do, it is like for dairy farmers milking the coos. We just get on with it. There is no politics about it, it is simple and we will of course do that.
“There are certain key matters that neither the Scottish Government nor the NFUS can support and I won't give consent to a UK bill that doesn't protect the interests and needs of Scottish farming and good production.”
Fergus Ewing highlighted the as yet unresolved position on trade, continuing:-
“Industry and the Scottish Government are united that we cannot countenance the prospect of tariffs for our quality meat exports into the EU. We don't expect the inevitability of tariff free or cheaper food imports.
“That is why I have worked with other MSPs, cross party and in the House of Commons to try and secure an amendment that will ensure in respect of imports that the same rules and standards which apply to our food production will apply to food imports after Brexit.”
The Cabinet Secretary commended their five year plan to see Scotland through the transition period.
“Our first task is to identify priorities. We had no less than 400 responses to our consultation.”
There are three areas of focus:- inspections, mapping and penalties.
“Some of you may know that in my previous life I was a solicitor and represented some customers faced with criminal events. I it would probably be accurate to describe most of them as criminals. Very few of them were found not guilty, I have to say I don't think that it was really my fault.
“The serious point is this. I never had a single client that was fined as much as you are for making a simple clerical error in filling up a form!
“We are determined that the machine has to be fairer, less punitive. We don't want farmers and critters to be be afraid of a system, that is not good and it prevents you getting on with the job.”
Fergus Ewing went on to talk about LFAS funding and the importance to hill farmers who need the most help.
“Basic income funding. That funding is not a subsidy, it is deserved support for what farmers do. For society, for supporting the rural economy in remote areas and confusing to support the role of looking after the hillside, for preventing land abandonment and land going to scrub and for continuing livestock production in Scotland.
“For all these reasons, I am determined that despite the difficulties that we face, we shall continue in real terms to maintain the LFAS funding at the same levels by other means.
“I am therefore pleased to confirm the announcement that I made earlier this week that firstly we will have an LFAS loan scheme with 10,500 offers going out on around 1st March. That will lead to £57m going into rural economy in April this year.
“We hope that this will provide an element of certainty, but we want to do more than that. I am absolutely determined that we find a work around to maintain the real level of support at approximately the same level as is now.”
Income support will continue at the same level as exists now since it is important to provide financial certainty and stability to farming over these difficult three years ahead.
“I do believe the UK Government should be putting its hands in their pockets to repatriate to Scotland the convergence money worth £14000 for every farmer and crafter in Scotland that was diverted in 2014. Money due to you in terms of the convergence policy and nobody else. There is a moral case that money should be provided, I will most certainly continue to argue that case.
“Unfortunately weather and Brexit aren't the only sources of stress to the sector. I know from my conversations around the country that some of you feel under a sustained attack about your fundamentals, about what you do. There are some environmentalists focusing on greenhouse gas emissions whilst ignoring some of the excellent and innovative work being done t9 adapt and reduce these emissions.
“There are also pressure groups that seek to limit our intake of meat, poultry and dairy without noting that grass fed beef produced to the highest welfare standards could end up being replaced on supermarket shelves with hormone injected meat from animals that have never seen daylight.
“Livestock farmers are making a positive contribution to the environment, that's excellent work and I think you need to continue to develop that work so that it gains the currency and acceptance across the country by everyone involved.
“In your daily lives, what you do preventing land abandonment, preventing land going to scrub not only destroying the tourist offering that attracts millions of people every year but threatening the viability of rural communities. You are, as well as farmers, the true conservationists in Scotland.”
The Cabinet Secretary reassured that while Brexit was going on they were continuing to do the day job. In 2018-2019 the Scottish Government is
investing £118m in Food and Drink and Farming through Food, Marketing and Processing grants. He said:- “It is extremely important and essential that we continue to invest in that sector.”
In concluding he confirmed that Scottish Government will work closely with UK Government.
“We have a good working relationship. I have built up a reasonable relationship with Michael Gove over the past two years. There are some differences I guess between Michael Gove and me. I don't pretend t9 be flashy, I am not someone who particularly seeking headlines, I have never wanted to introduce near the Scottish Border the lynx.
“I haven't suggested that your wood stoves should be outlawed and lastly when I say my party leader enjoys my full confidence and support I actually mean it.
He said that there is a job of work to be done over the next few weeks that will require cool heads and we need to press for the best outcome whatever the circumstances may be.
“My part is to protect and promote Scottish farming. I am proud of Scottish farmers and proud of what you achieve and what you do.
“I am determined that so far as it is within my power and that of the Scottish Government that come what may, you shall still be farming and you shall still be producing the highest quality food for the nation for the years and decades to come.”
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