NFU Scotland demands agricultural review as UK food trade gap widens

NFU Scotland called on the UK government to conduct an independent review of agricultural trade policies on Thursday 29 October 2026. FarmingUK reported that the trade deficit for Britain's food, feed, and drink sector reached 42.1 billion pounds, prompting warnings about national food security. [1]

The agricultural union launched a policy paper at its Autumn Conference detailing how rising food imports undermine domestic production. FarmingUK stated that Scottish farmers face competition from overseas producers who operate under lower environmental and animal welfare standards. [1]

Import dependence challenges primary producers across multiple markets. As FTMQ Food reported earlier, Nigeria expended 1.19 billion dollars on food imports during the first half of 2026, marking an 11.41 per cent rise in foreign exchange usage for food imports compared to 1.07 billion dollars in the same period of 2025. [3]

NFU Scotland warned that increasing reliance on foreign agricultural products directly threatens domestic farming viability. FarmingUK noted that the union is demanding immediate government intervention to protect British producers from being undercut by cheaper overseas imports. [1]