The farmers’ union has invited MEPs to visit a farm or attend an agricultural show this year.
NFU Scotland (NFUS) said it wanted to discuss its concerns with the politicians over upcoming European trade deals – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal with the US and the Mercosur trade deal with South America.
NFUS president, Allan Bowie, said: “Whilst the subsequent decision by the European Commission to remove beef from the Mercosur negotiations is very welcome, our understanding is that this remains a temporary arrangement and the potential for beef to return to the negotiating table is causing great concern within the industry.
“Beef is not the only sector under threat and there are a range of other agricultural sectors which might be impacted in a negative way as part of these trade deals.”
He said while the volumes of agricultural imported produce being considered in both deals could have an impact on already depressed market returns, there were worries about the production systems used by overseas trade partners and the need for equivalence to ensure a level playing field.
“Equivalent standard demands range from the withdrawal periods for veterinary medicines, to the traceability of livestock and food, to animal welfare standards,” said Mr Bowie.
“In Scotland, we are proud to have some of the highest welfare regulations and a robust audit process which continually guarantees assurance standards on farms, regardless of whether they are producing crops, livestock, dairy, pigs and poultry or fresh produce.
“It is imperative that other countries have similar standards and, critically, that these standards are independently audited.”
