Food and Farming Roundtable with Scottish Government Ministers and Defra
The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) participated in a roundtable event aimed at supporting Scotland's agriculture industry. Held in Edinburgh on 30 April 2025, the gathering brought together figures from Scotland’s agriculture sector and representatives from both the UK and Scottish Governments.
The roundtable, hosted by Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill, focused on addressing challenges within the agri-food supply chain and exploring potential solutions. Key topics included immigration and labour access, economic growth, and support.
Minister McNeill underscored the critical importance of food and farming to the nation and reaffirmed a commitment to collaborating with the industry to devise innovative resolutions to the complex issues confronting Scottish agriculture. Scottish Government Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie also reiterated the Scottish Government's dedication to fostering sustainable food production while meeting nature and climate goals.
At the meeting, Robert Sheasby highlighted the need for both UK and Scottish Ministers to create a policy environment where the industry feels confident to invest. Changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) were identified as factors harming this confidence. It is crucial that the Scottish and English Land Use Strategies are complementary and focus on productivity, leveraging innovation and new techniques. One area of concern is precision breeding, which requires sensitive handling to benefit the agri-food and drink supply chains across Scotland, England, and all of Great Britain. A growth ambition supported by policy is essential for the entire industry to thrive.
At the same time as this meeting, AIC Scotland Members met in Perth for their spring meetings. The new Chair of AIC Scotland, Graeme Glasson, opened the meeting, while AIC staff provided updates to Members across various sectors and policy issues. The new AIC Scotland Policy Manager, Ian MacDougall, was also introduced to Members.
Author
Wendy Ford
Wendy Ford is Communications Manager at AIC, creating and overseeing the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media.