The ongoing post-Brexit ban on selling seed potatoes to the European market continues to 'anger and frustrate' Scottish growers, NFU Scotland has said.
The EU Commission and the UK government must agree a new model for two-way trade in seed potatoes between GB, the EU and Northern Ireland, the union said.
However, the group added that it feared "politics will continue to rob Scottish growers of a valuable market".
The Trade and Co-operation Agreement with Europe, announced at the end of 2020 as part of Brexit, failed to agree equivalence on seed potatoes.
This resulted in significant prohibitions on Scottish seed exports to the European Union and Northern Ireland.
Pre-Brexit, Scotland exported around 20,000 tonnes of seed potatoes, worth almost £11m, to Europe each year.
More than 75 percent of Britain's seed potato exports comes from Scotland, with the country exporting seed to 18 EU countries in 2020/21.
However, imports of seed potatoes from the EU to GB have been made possible, with Defra permitting imports providing they are not used for ‘marketing purposes.’
This has meant the internal GB market for seed potatoes has not developed as much as it could have done, according to NFU Scotland, adding that this was 'detrimental' to Scottish seed growers.
The union's president Martin Kennedy said: “The current deadlock on the trade of seed potatoes from GB to the EU and Northern Ireland continues to cause huge amounts of anger for growers.
“Frustratingly, the UK and the EU remain at loggerheads on this matter, and it is Scottish seed potato growers who are paying the price for an issue that is becoming increasingly political."
Mr Kennedy said it was 'abundantly clear' that the prohibition on the import of GB seed potatoes into the EU could not be justified based on current plant health and marketing standards in the EU or UK.
He said urgent action was now needed by the EU and the UK government to agree a new model for two-way trade in seed potatoes between GB and the EU, and Northern Ireland.
This was 'essential' and must be 'agreed without delay' to support business planning for future cropping seasons.
“In light of the looming global food security crisis, it is particularly disappointing that a resolution cannot be agreed," Mr Kennedy added.
"The high health and quality status of Scottish seed potatoes could play an important role in strengthening food production in the EU.”
