On 30 April 2025, Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill heard from sector experts on barriers to growth in the Scottish agri-food supply chain
Leading members of Scotland’s agriculture sector unite with the UK and Scottish Governments in Edinburgh to investigate key issues facing the agri-food supply chain and identify potential solutions.
Agri-food roundtable with industry experts
Minister McNeill pledged to host a food and farming roundtable at the NFU Scotland (NFUS) conference earlier this year. The minister was joined by Defra and Department for Business and Trade representatives and Scottish Government Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie.
This roundtable is part of an ongoing, extensive engagement with the agri-food sector, crucial to the UK Government’s Plan for Change. With hopes of delivering security and renewal, the UK Government aims to kick-start economic growth by creating jobs, putting more money in working people’s pockets and improving living standards across the UK, including rural communities, which are key to feeding the UK and achieving net zero.
The roundtable will discuss immigration and access to labour, fairness in the supply chain, and supporting economic growth. While the topics for discussion are policy areas reserved for the UK Government, agriculture is almost entirely devolved to the Scottish Government.
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said: “Food and farming are vital to the country, and this is an important opportunity for the industry and government to discuss issues and identify creative solutions.
There is much we can and are doing for the sector through the UK Government’s Plan for Change to turbo-charge economic growth and deliver a decade of national renewal and opportunity for all. But I appreciate that there are a number of highly complex issues facing Scottish agriculture and I look forward to a constructive discussion.
We will continue to engage with this vital industry, and we will continue to strengthen relations with the Scottish Government, respecting the fact that agriculture policy is largely devolved.”
Scottish food and drink manufacturing contributes £5.2bn to the economy
The Scottish food and drink manufacturing sector has grown by more than 35% over the last decade. It contributes £5.2 billion to the Scottish economy, accounting for over one-third of Scotland’s manufacturing turnover.
Office for National Statistics data, analysed by the Food and Drink Federation, also showed that the industry provides around 47,000 jobs in Scotland’s 1,220 food and drink businesses.
Scottish Government Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said: “The Scottish Government is committed to supporting our agriculture sector in sustainable food production whilst also contributing to nature and climate targets. We are reforming how we support farming and food production towards our Vision for Agriculture for Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
Recent and ongoing global events show the fragility of food security, and we are taking action to improve Scotland’s food resilience and strengthen our supply chains. We will continue to work with the UK Government and across the sector to monitor the threats to the supply chain and mitigate against future shocks and impacts on food security.”
NFU Scotland President Andrew Connon said: “NFU Scotland is pleased to attend the Scotland Office Food and Farming Roundtable this week and represent our members across the country. We will be discussing important issues such as barriers to growth, seasonal workers’ immigration and fairness in the supply chain – each critical for a profitable and sustainable future agricultural sector in Scotland.
We look forward to underlining the importance of farmers and crofters to the food and drink industry and to rural communities and hearing what actions the UK Government will take to help address the issues seriously impacting our sector currently.”
