Wishart to raise local farmer’s harvest ordeal in parliament amid industry decline

Published date : 27 October, 2022

News Release from Pete Wishart MP

Attn: News Desk For immediate release: 27 October 2022

Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and Perthshire, and Shadow Westminster Spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), is to raise local farmer’s harvest ordeal in parliament later today.

It comes after Peter Thomson, who owns a 60-acre blueberry farm in Blairgowrie, made the decision to give away the crop to local charities, which would typically be worth around £3m, because the harvesting costs now outweigh the return.

Commenting, Mr Wishart said:

“While Peter should be commended for donating his blueberry crop to local charities rather than let it go to waste, the sad reality is that this is only happening because of post-Brexit Britain’s senseless trade pursuits.

“In the UK Government’s desperate scramble to secure haphazard trade deals with countries thousands of miles away, they have prioritised cheap imports while quite literally leaving our own farmers’ high quality produce to rot. This insane race to the bottom is now an existential threat to our indigenous industries.

“I will be raising Peter’s situation in the ‘Food Security’ debate in parliament later today, and urging the UK Government to change tack or face hearing many more stories like this from farmers across the country.”

ENDS

Notes:

Read full BBC story on Peter Thomson, here
Watch Food Security debate live, here
For more information, please contact: 01738 639 598

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