Farmers demanded answers on Brexit at NFU Scotland’s autumn conference in Perth but received few reassurances.

Scottish under secretary Colin Clark MP, who spoke at the event, explained that backing the Government to “get Brexit done” was the best way to give assurances to the future. The Scottish Government’s Brexit Minister Mike Russell believed leaving was not in Scotland’s best interests.

Maeve Whyte, who runs the UK farming Union’s Brussels office, warned that the UK was in for a tough trade negotiation as the EU has some of the best and experienced negotiators in the world.

Commissioner Phil Hogan, who previously headed the agricultural department, is now moving to run trade for the EU.

She also explained to conference delegates that the initial emotion of shock and disappointment after the Brexit vote in Brussels was waning, with patience now getting stretched, highlighting the recent French attitude to a much shorter extension timetable. The EU was becoming more European as a result of Brexit as countries appeared more united than ever before, believed Whyte.

The future of EU farm support is to be more closely tied to environmental concerns, according to Whyte, who works on the CAP for UK farmers. This could have an influence on UK farming rules as operating similar farming frameworks will make trade deal negotiations easier to complete.

However, Clark was keen to point out that environmental regulations must be based on good science and that farmers need to keep a watch over changes.

Farmers urged the UK Government to look again at the unbalanced no-deal tariff arrangement which would see significantly less duty paid in imported food products than on duty for UK farm exports.

Clark said that the tariff schedule would be looked at but only once the no-deal trading arrangement was already in operation. He also highlighted new opportunities like negotiating a reduced tariff on whisky to India which currently sits at 150%.