Scottish Potato Seed Exporters Blocked From EU and Northern Island Trading

Scotland is the source of more than three quarters of Britain’s potato seed exports, with Scotland sending seed to 18 nations in the Europe Union between 2020 and 2021.

But variations in trade laws in January of last year mean that Scottish farmers are not permitted to sell seed potatoes to the European Union anymore, with this change also blocking access to Northern Ireland.

The change seems strange since there have been no adaptations in UK plant health regulations or drop in quality for this product since Brexit.
Although the TSS (Trader Support Service) had been elongated to assist companies in circumnavigating deviations in how goods are exported to Northern Ireland, Scottish seed potato producers are still banned from trading to this region.

The selection of Ranil Jayawardena as the new Defra Secretary presented a new opening to drive access to these markets, according to MP Richard Thomson.

Gordon’s MP, Mr. Thomson, stated that Liz Truss’ government must resume meaningful relations with the EU and reopen Scottish seed potato export markets. He said he has “written to the Secretary of State, asking him to explore new ways in which this can be achieved. One way could involve mirroring the arrangement made for certain locations in Canada to export to named countries within the EU, which my research tells me was achieved in 2000.”

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