Farming groups in Scotland have reacted with anger at the announcement of a new free trade deal with New Zealand as it will offer 'virtually nothing' in return to Scottish farmers.
The UK government earlier this week announced a new free trade agreement with New Zealand, which follows the Australian deal signed in June.
The post-Brexit deals are set to grant the countries - both major agricultural exporting nations - unfettered access to the UK.
As with the Australian agreement, there will be a cap on tariff-free imports from New Zealand for 15 years.
NFU Scotland has reacted with 'anger and dismay' at the new trade deal, as it would see the UK open up to "huge volumes of imported food, a significant proportion of which may not have been produced on farming systems permitted here".
It said that 'threatened the viability' of Scottish farmers and crofters at a time when consumers demanded local, sustainably produced food.
NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy said: “Our fears that the process adopted by the UK government in agreeing the Australia deal would set a dangerous precedent going forward have just been realised.
"Having now put in place a similar deal to grant unfettered access to New Zealand, another major food exporting nation, the cumulative impact of all such deals on farmers and crofters will be substantial.
“This latest deal offers virtually nothing to Scottish farmers and crofters in return but risks undermining our valuable lamb, dairy and horticultural sectors by granting access to large volumes of imported goods that could be produced in farming systems not currently permitted here."
It comes as a new 'strengthened' Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) was launched this week after MPs criticised the government for delays in establishing it.
The TAC, which was first launched last year, is now set to have a formal role to play in informing MPs and the public on the impact post-Brexit trade deals would have on the farming industry.
Its members have expertise across the agricultural, food production, veterinary, animal welfare, environment and international trade policy sectors.
But farming groups are still calling on parliamentarians to be given more ways to examine trade deals, and any future agreements with the likes of the US, Canada and Mexico.
The government has also been told to carry out a detailed impact assessment on what the deals would mean for the agriculture and food sectors.
Mr Kennedy said this while farmers in Scotland were 'ambitious' to grasp opportunities post-Brexit, he said it would require more investment and collaboration from government.
“The reality is that as the government drives a new open trading environment, it is increasingly imposing rules on us that make the industry less competitive," he added.
"The current failure to meaningfully address the critical shortage of labour across the whole food supply chain is a good case in point.”
