Members’ Business: Celebrating Angus Berries and Scotland’s Soft Fruit Sector - 15 September 2026

The final item of business is a members business debate on motion 788 in the name of Lloyd Melville on celebrating Angus Berries and Scotland's soft fruit sector. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put and I would ask members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request to speak buttons now. Lloyd Melville. >> Thank you very much uh deputy presiding officer and can I take this opportunity to thank colleagues across the chamber who supported this motion and have given us the opportunity to celebrate one of Scotland's great food industries. Indeed, let me also thank the stakeholders who have come uh tonight and who uh met with myself and uh the minister uh prior to today's debate. There are some arguments in this parliament that take a fair bit of work uh to make, but the case for a freshly picked Angus raspberry is not one of them. It's one of those rare arguments where the evidence can itself be eaten. Growing up in and around berry country means you develop quite the appreciation for a good berry and a low tolerance for a bad one. And when you visit a place like Balhungi Berry Farm near Monath, what strikes you most is just how much detail, work, and love sits behind something that many of us simply pick up from a supermarket shelf or indeed a farm shop. And presiding officer, NFU Scotland estimate that Scotland's berry industry contributes more than 188 million pounds to our economy. The sector uses only around 1% of our agricultural land but punches well above its weight delivering up to 16% of our agricultural output. Now that is a remarkable contribution for the humble berry to make and Angus sits right at the heart of it. We have many many family businesses. We have Angus growers and appetite for Angus bringing producers together and helping them reach new markets and promote the local berry story. And places like the farm shop at Balhungi help connect local people directly with the farms and the farmers producing their food. That really matters. Berry growing is not just important to the Angus economy. It is integral to the character of Angus woven into our identity and our heritage. Presiding officer this >> happy to >> Christine Oswald. grateful for him taking intervention and as a a a person who grew up in Angus and spent my childhood summers picking these berries, his point about this being so integral to who we are as people from Angus is absolutely vital. So would he agree with me that not only is there a huge value in terms of economy in Scotland's food and drink sector, but also in terms of heritage and the character of our communities >> like Melville? >> Absolutely. And I think that there's a huge amount of work to be done to promote the heritage aspect of the berries. Um I unfortunately was too young to be uh picking berries and wasn't sent. I'm sorry. I am sorry to put that on the record. I am sorry. Um but this is a this is a debate as much about the future as it is uh about heritage. Uh [laughter] oh. Oh goodness me. That was uh yeah moving swiftly on. Uh this uh presiding officer is an industry that is changing and innovating as well. Growers are using new technology including uh robots traveling through crops at night using ultraviolet light to help control powdery mildew. And at the James Hutton Institute, decades of research and breeding continue to improve fruit quality, disease resistance, and productivity. Champion varieties are growing in Angus, like the Mon raspberry and the Magnum Strawberry, which I had the privilege of trying right off the crop at Balhungi, and I can tell you they were something else. But being good at growing something does not automatically translate into big profits. It's easy to see full supermarket shelves and assume that the industry is doing just fine, but strong sales do not necessarily mean strong margins, especially when you pick up a punet only to find that those berries have traveled thousands of miles to sit on the supermarket shelf. Indeed, growers are making decisions about plants, tunnels, machinery, and labor months before they know what the weather will do, what the harvest will look like, or what price they will receive. They are doing that while dealing with rising costs and increasingly unpredictable weather from flooding and drought to late frosts. And of course, they are also doing it with uncertainty about who will actually pick the berries they grow. Presiding officer, access to seasonal labor remains so important for businesses in my constituency and across Scotland. Brexit ended the free movement that many of these businesses had relied on, and Scottish growers have had to adapt to the consequences. And while immigration policy is reserved to the UK government, the system now in place has got to recognize the reality of businesses whose workforce requirements are highly seasonal. These growers need certainty before the season begins. But let us also take this moment to recognize the people who come to Scotland to do this work. Quite simply, these berries could not be harvested without them. They should be welcomed, valued, and treated fairly. If we want Scottish berries on our shelves, we should never lose sight of the people whose work puts them there. And of course, producing the fruit is only half of the job. Growers then need markets for it and a fair return when they sell it. NFU Scotland again gives us an interesting picture of what is happening on supermarket shelves. Across surveys in May, June, and August, an average of 56% of berries were domestically sourced. So even across the summer growing season, almost half of the berries on our shelves were imported. Now, nobody is suggesting that Scotland can supply every berry on the shelf all year round. But at the height of our growing season, we should surely expect Scottish fruit to take pride of place. And people who want to buy local should clearly be able to see what it is they're buying. That means proper country and county of origin labeling and clear instore branding. And growers need confidence that having spent the money and grown the crop, supermarkets will take it at a reasonable price. Government has a key role to play. Also, our good food nation ambitions should be visible on our plates. When Scottish berries are in season, we should be looking for every practical opportunity to see more of them served in our schools, hospitals, and care settings. That means planning procurement around seasonal availability and making opportunities genuinely accessible to Scottish growers and producer organizations because there would be something quite odd presiding officer about celebrating Scotland as a great food producing nation while our public kitchens cannot buy food being grown just next door. So I hope the minister might address a few points when responding to this debate. We now have a public sector food procurement task force. What more can it be doing to help schools, hospitals, and care settings source Scottish produce when it's in season? How can the Scottish government continue to support the investment, research, and innovation that have made this industry so successful to date? And how is the government working with growers on the pressures they are telling us about now? from labor availability and rising costs to securing fair and reliable markets for their produce. Presiding officer, I began with the humble Angus Raspberry, which I am going to make a bold claim is simply the best in the world. But that success does not happen by chance. Behind every punet is a grower making investment decisions months before knowing what the season will bring. Workers there when the crop is ready. scientists and researchers developing better ways to grow it and new varieties for us to eat. And there are businesses and communities across Angus and Scotland whose prosperity is connected to what comes out of those fields. Now, presiding officer, I don't think there will be much disagreement tonight uh perhaps about which region uh produces the best berries. Um, but I hope that we can find consensus about the importance of this vital industry to our economy, to our heritage, and to our future. We should decide tonight what we can do to support this industry. Backing growers, opening up markets, and eating as well as shopping local. That is how we make sure Angus berries remain one of Scotland's great food success stories for many years to come. And I look forward to hearing the rest of the debate. >> [applause] >> Don Black up to four minutes. >> Thank you. Thank you, presiding officer. And I thank my neighboring Angus constituency colleague, Lloyd Melville, for bringing this debate to the chamber. Yes, the Angus mafia are here. Um, when people think of a Scottish agriculture, they often picture barley, beef, lamb, or dairy. But like Lloyds has already said, today we're celebrating another extraordinary part of Scotland's rural economy, our soft fruit sector. And across my constituency of Angus North and Ms, which covers both north of Angus and the south of Abedine, growers are producing some of the finest soft fruits and berries found anywhere. Scotland's long summer daylight, cooler days, and slower ripening fruit give our berries their distinctive sweetness, flavor, and quality. And that success is visible in businesses in my constituency such as Castleton Farm at Ferdinand, Charlton Farm near Montro, North Mains of Dun and Southesque farms near Brien. These are employers, innovators, visitor destinations, educators and anchors of rural community life. Castleton farm at Fuden is a striking example and its northerly location allows fruit to ripen slowly and develop exceptional sweetness. harvesting fruit for much of the year. It grows strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and cherries and has built a strong farm shop, cafe, and product range around fruit grown, picked, and processed all on situ in the farm. Likewise, Charlton Farm on the edge of Montrose also shows how soft fruit connects people with food, place, and nature through pick your own fruit, a farm shop, food events, educational experiences. It helps families and young people understand where food comes from, which is so important and why food security and environmental care actually matter. The sector is also built on science and innovation. Poly tunnels, tabletop growing systems, precision irrig irrigation and fertigation have extended the season and improved uh quality. And as has already been mentioned by Mr. Melville. That matters because Scotland's berry industry contributes around 188 million pounds to the Scottish economy and it supports rural jobs, packaging, holage, hospitality, tourism, food manufacturing and research. And when we buy Scottish berries, we support a whole network of rural livelihoods. But we must be honest about the pressures growers are facing. Soft fruit is labor intensive and requires skilled seasonal workers, careful handpicking, fast grading, rapid chilling, and demanding quality control. Labor, energy, packaging, fertilizer, and transport costs have all risen recently. While late frosts, heat, flooding, and water scarcity can disrupt harvests and damage yields. And there's also the challenge of market power, which has been exaggerated since Brexit. Major supermarkets provide vital routes to market, but they have enormous influence over prices, specifications, and contracts. Fixed pricing can leave growers absorbing rising costs, while strict cosmetic standards mean perfectly good berries can be rejected or downgraded simply because they're the wrong shape, size, or color. And that is why alternative routes to market are so important. So, market gardens, produce box schemes, farm shops, cafes, pick your own experiences, independent green grocerers, hospitality, processors, distilleries, brewers, and food manufacturers can help growers to capture more value and reduce the food waste. Secondary grade fruit can become jams, juices, purees, spirits, beers, desserts, and other high value ingredients. So, today I want to make a simple point. Scotland's soft fruit sector is a success story, but it's not one that we can take for granted. It needs fair contracts, visible Scottish labeling, genuine retailer partnership, continued investment in research and infrastructure, and public support for local produce. And above all, it needs us to recognize the skill, risk, and commitment behind every berry grown here. So the next time we see Scottish strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or cherries on a shelf, in a farm shop, in a school meal, in a restaurant, dessert, or a family kitchen, let's remember what they represent. Innovation, resilience, rural employment, environmental stewardship, and the very best of Scotland's natural lauder. So presiding officer, in conclusion, that is a sector worth celebrating, worth supporting, and worth protecting. Thank you. Jamie Langan. >> Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I start by thanking the member for Angus South for bringing this motion in the debate to the chamber today. The soft fruit industry is both an essential part of Scotland's world-class horicultural sector as well as an important co component of Scotland and Britain's domestic food production. As the motion alludes to, our larger scale commercial soft fruit industry is primarily constituting Angus as well as Perchure and F. However, there are examples of soft fruit production across other parts of the country, including within my own region of South Scotland. This is particularly the case in the Scottish borders where there is a long-standing tradition with McGregor farms of Bericure having farmed strawberries in the 70s, 80s and onward into the new century. However, this is most keenly felt and seen with the notable familyrun Borders Berries at Rutherford Farm between Kelso and St. Boswell's. Having been an active soft fruit producer since the 1960s, I know the member for Midlotheian South knows how good Borders berries are. It's good to have a bit of cross party consensus once in a while in the chamber. To this day, Borders Berries continue to produce fantastic strawberries, raspberries, black currants, red currants, gooseberries, and tabberries. and constitutes some of the finest seasonal produce that we all love and enjoy in rural Scotland. It's incredibly important that we continue to highlight the fantastic produce of Scotland's soft fruit sector as well as the potential for added value to the rural visitor economy through efforts such as the Angus Berry Trail that the member mentioned in his motion. Indeed, the success of pick your own fruit model is seen at the affforementioned borders berries which the south of Scotland's largest such business. This model is not only a great business venture, but is a very important educational piece for younger people to understand where their food comes from and that does not just materialize on our supermarket shelves. The motion lodged by the member for Angus South highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the sector. And it's with concern that I note that the area for the industry has fallen from roughly 2,200 hectares in 2020 to now by some estimates approaching 1,900 in 2026. Given the soft fruit industry's important role in Scottish food production, these challenges raise a broader and important point around support for our nation's long-term food production strategy. Coming weeks after central government told the general public to consider stockpiling tin food due to threats to our sources of food supply, it is clear we're living in an era where the end of the just in time supply chain increasingly applies to food as well. Thus, it is increasingly important that we address food production as a matter of national strategic resilience and our soft sector has an important role to play in this and that government government policy focus on food production when addressing rural affairs and the broader agricultural and horicultural sectors. on the on the point of declining industry area size for the Scottish soft fruits sector. This corresponds for us to have the need to have an honest conversation around Scotland's land use and recognize where appropriate Scotland's land cannot be all things for all people. There is a need for an honest conversation. This in my mind means having food production at the front and center of this conversation and importantly means ensuring Scottish farmers and producers are not incentivized to take any land out of food production for other policy agendas and priorities. The member touched on changing weather patterns and I think there is a recognition we are seeing that and that is affecting the agricultural and horicultural sector. But I think it is important we take a pragmatic and realistic approach to what this entails. moving away from climate mitigation such as policies like herd reduction to sustained climate adaptation. I think we need to sometimes realize the limits of our own agency and that Scottish agriculture and horiculture will not be able to challenge the global issue that is climate change but it can and should be able to adapt to these challenges. A vital but often underdised part of our ability to feed the nation is the bottleneck around production with particular issues around meat processing sites have been particularly felt in the ongoing pork crisis that I know as a member for the northeast region is very pertinent to members on other benches. Of course, the wider debate around Scotland's ability to feed itself and the matter of national strategic resilience goes far beyond the scope of this debate, but is important we recognize the role the soft root sector plays in this and touch on the commonality of issues faced by the sector and broader food production. To conclude, the motion raises important points and I agree it is vital we continue to celebrate promote the fantastic work and produce of the soft fruit sector and I for one look forward to continue to enjoy our fantastic seasonal produce. [applause] >> Maggie Chapman to be followed by Steven Kerr. Maggie Chapman up to five four minutes. >> Thank you presiding officer and I thank Lloyd Melville for bringing this motion to debate today. I want to spend my time talking about the workers who pick the fruit we celebrate. Those on whom the soft fruit industry depends who don't get much mention. No mention in the motion for example of the low wages for physically exhausting work. No mention of the restrictive visa conditions that make it difficult to move to another farm, another employer if the conditions and pay there are better. No mention of what the workers support center calls a culture of fear on some Scottish farms with workers being referred to by a number not their name shouted out shouted at for speaking their native language harassed for taking toilet breaks or being unable to meet targets and no mention either of the outrageously poor accommodation conditions they endure. Lloyd Melville promoted his motion today with a beautifully and slickly produced socially social media video complete with drone footage of a very sunny fruit farm in my region in Angus. The conditions as far as the video gave us a look at them seemed good. It was a really good piece of of promotion. But that's not the reality for many agricultural workers in the sector. Last year the BBC exposed shocking conditions at a soft fruit farm in Angus. Workers reported freezing conditions in their accommodation. >> Yes, >> Jim Fairley. Would the member accept that denigrating the entire sector because of a particular case is not helpful to the sector and that in reality the sector is actually one of the better paying uh se parts of the agricultural sector and they're providing a hell of a lot of work for people who cannot get it in other areas where they come from. Maggie Chapman. >> I thank the minister for his intervention and what I'm doing is highlighting the concerns as exposed by the BBC last year of shocking conditions that do exist in Scotland that we could be taking action about. >> Workers report freezing conditions in their accommodation. mustn't hair >> workers report freezing conditions in their accommodation with one worker reported reporting they needed to sleep fully clothed due to the cold. A video shows carpets so damp that water seeps out when the workers walk on them. Gaps in roofs and floors exposing the workers to the open air. To add in insult to injury, this accommodation is not part of the job but must be paid for on the min minimum guaranteed 32 hours per week at national minimum wage of 11.44 per hour. The 9.99 a day accommodation charges represent 19% of a worker's net pay. High additional charges reported by workers for electricity, fuel, and services such as laundry or travel mean that wages fall below the legal minimum. Many of the 61 workers that the workers support center supported with dismissal cases in 2024 also faced very short notice eviction from notice of eviction from accommodation with some of them becoming homeless. The basic problem here is that the increase in renters's rights around quality, rent control, and eviction largely do not apply to seasonal agricultural accommodation. Only one UK local authority has requested powers to inspect caravan accommodation for agricultural workers. And even then, the Angus inspection scheme does not apply to the inside of the accommodation. The minimum toler to tolerable and repairing standards that apply to other housing applies to agricultural accommodation in caravans only if local authorities enact bylaws to make this the case. The workers report Support Center has found not any local authority that have made such bylaws. local authorities, the Fairwork Agency, the Health and Safety Executive, the Scottish government, and the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team, and the UK visas and immigration uh unit compliance unit are all involved in this, but workers are slipping through the gaps with nobody taking properly proper responsibility for standards. I'm proud that my colleague Arianne Burgess worked so hard in the last session to raise this issue and it was her parliamentary questions that prompted the government to announce new statutory accommodation standards for all seasonal workers. But that was in November 2025. This year's P program for government has been and gone and calls for the program to include the new standards went unheeded. So I ask the minister to tell us when the government will follow through on this promise. When will we respect seasonal workers human rights to warm and safe homes? And when will we adequately house the workers without them without whom the soft fruits industry we celebrate this evening would be nothing? Because I want to be able to celebrate the whole of the industry. But when workers face the situation they do, we cannot. Thank you. >> Steven Kerr to be followed by Willie Renie. Steven Kr up to four minutes. Well, I very much regret that Maggie Chapman has decided to use this debate to characterize this brilliant sector of Scotland's economy in such derisory terms. Because I can tell you now, having visited many berry farms over the years, that is just not an accurate depiction of the workers that work in this place. I'd happily give way to Jamie Langan. Jimmy Lang member not agree that our fantastic agriculture and horicultural industry face enough challenges without people running its name through the mud without a positive word to say about an important employer in her region. >> Steven Kerr, >> incredibly disappointing not to hear very much of a positive nature in that speech. Although Maggie Chapman will forgive me if I say that I often feel that way about her contributions in the chamber. I am proud to number myself among the Angus mafia uh which actually is quite a sizable group in this parliament. Truth be told, Angus always punching above its weight. Certainly in my political experience, it's interesting to discover who exactly was born in Angus and where they now are and what they're doing. Um, but I am was very pleased to support Lloyd Meville's motion because Angus berries are indeed one of the great success stories of Scottish agriculture and they are renowned for their quality and they are in demand. There's a huge demand for them and they are produced by growers who have shown incredible ingenuity over many years and for me this is personal too. I agree with a contribution from Kirsten Oswwell who I did not know was a daughter of Angus um until tonight because as a boy as a boy I also and Lloyd Melville needs to listen up to this. I as a boy went to the berries and I cannot pretend and being frank I cannot pretend I always went with enormous enthusiasm to the berries but my dad had a very firm view that I needed to learn how to work and my mom strongly supported his position. So in the summer off I went to pick the raspberries and earlier in the season the strawberries and when it came time for the tatty holidays I was packed off to the tatty holidays as well because that's what we called them in Angus in those days the tatty holidays. And I remember well the long rows the lines of of of of raspberries the and I remember filling baskets and punets and uh and and buckets. We used to fill raspberries with the buckets. I don't know what they were going to do with the raspberries. Maybe make use them for dye. I don't know. But working alongside friends and neighbors, I had a little transistor radio that I tied around my way. So I spend the whole day listening to the radio, moving it between the radio stations in those distant days when Lloyd Melville wasn't wasn't even a glint in his parents' eyes. And I remember the power of the incentive because the money was mine at the end of the day. I could spend it on anything I chose. And so I can tell you now, I thank heaven that I had these valuable lessons to learn in the berry fields of Angus. Sometimes work isn't exactly what you choose it to be, but there's an ability and work and the reward is the reward. and I learned to turn up and keep going and finish the job. And I really regret and I introduced this as a a side note to this debate, but I think it's relevant. I regret that many young people today uh including Lloyd Melville apparently have fewer opportunities to get that first experience of work through things like Saturday jobs and holiday jobs such as going to the berries. And I'm sure that other members to my left will um not agree with that. But I believe that we have made it too difficult in many cases for employers to give teenagers those first few um hours of responsibility and independence that that kind of work gives. Now I'm a bit confused because there's no clock on what I'm So I think this means I can speak I think this means I can speak for as long as I like which is a fantastic >> Mr. And you have already had four minutes and what was not said. >> Surely not. Well, I'm going to conclude then by asking the minister some questions. Um, hope you'll I didn't know what the time was. So, I hope you'll allow me some leeway because I wouldn't have rambled on if I'd known I had rambling on is my style. I know everybody else. I will ask I'll ask the minister directly um about the support that the sector needs particularly around capital support to help growers expand and improve productivity including poly tunnels irrigation cold storage automation was mentioned by Lloyd Melville in his speech and indeed new technology robotics I think that's important now will the minister if I had had more time I would have talked about this would the minister join me as as as I did in my previous elected role in pressing the UK government for a more flexible seasonal worker system with growers able to recruit through a wider range of government approved scheme operators. It's a very narrow choice at the minute. >> Will ministers work with retailers? >> Mr. Kurt, you've had five and a half minutes at the moment because you started at 8 minutes past. So, if you could bring your remarks to conclusion that helpful. Will ministers work with retailers to encourage longerterm purchasing agreements so that growers can have confidence to invest and will the government reconsider and this is very important so hope the minister's listening will the government reconsider its position on precision breeding because the James Hutton Institute was mentioned and we have worldleading science happening there. The Scottish government need to stop denying the science and understand the difference between gene editing and gene modification because this is a sector that will benefit enormously from the outstanding research being conducted at the James Hutton Institute. I thank you for your forbearance presiding officer and I'm I'm sorry that I mentioned the clock at all. >> Thank you. We move on to Willie Renie who will be followed on by David Torrance. Willie Renie, up to four minutes. I was immediately impressed by Lloyd Melville when he joined the parliament and I was even more impressed when he joined me as deputy convenor of the transport committee. But this evening everything he spoke was utter tosh to suggest that Angus berries are better than f berries just means he's going to have to leave the transport committee because I have no confidence in them anymore. Um I um I was fortunate to do a day's work experience um a few years ago as a an MSP at Eastern Graange Mure Farm outside Pittton and I joined the Romanians and Ukrainians and those from other parts of Eastern Europe and beyond um to pick berries for the day and it was on the raised bed so I didn't have to bend my back. Um, and I was proud after my two-hour session, I had collected four big trays. And then I went to speak to the Ukrainians and the Romanians and they said they had done 20, five times as much. These people were ferocious with their work rate and were keen because they could earn more. The more they picked, the more they earned and they were working incredibly hard and they were delighted to be here. um which I just I want to just initially address Maggie Chapman's point because I think any allegations of poor accommodation and mistreatment should be investigated. That should of course be the case. But just like Maggie Chapman urges us not to generalize in other areas of political debate. I think we should do the same in this sector as well cuz the fruit farms that I visit are outstanding and they provide good accommodation for their workers and they provide good quality goods for the supermarkets. But there is no doubt that the section the the sector is under stress because the if you look at a number of fruit farms that have closed in recent years or have shrunk their production. Now if you look at how the sector has changed and it's changed dramatically from when I was a boy. My dad was a grosser so I never got the opportunity to go and work in the fields picking berries or the picking the tatties or doing the foraging. I never um got the opportunity to do that. Um but berries at that point there was a shorter season maybe about 6 weeks. Now it goes on for months and they go on for months because they have invested massively in tunnels that are heated on raised beds and all of that is expensive. And if you can't guarantee that you're going to get the workers to pick the berries, all that investment goes to waste. and the confidence particularly on the back of the previous government's um seasonal agricultural worker scheme restrictions that just knocked a hole particularly post um Brexit and post the pandemic when they went home and they did not come back and you've seen in a number of foot farms they have shrunk their production as a result so we should be I think finding ways of getting more workers to come and pick these good quality produce from F less Angus but life in particular of good quality. Um, but we should also be looking it's the NFUS and it's not been mentioned today and I say this with a certain amount of trepidition is that the agricultural wages board does actually add potentially some extra complications and red tape onto a system that we already have good quality standards and they'll take the intervention. Jim fairly >> the point that will just made actually touches on the point that Maggie Chapman made the agricultural wages order and I've had this debate with members of the soft sector when I was a shepherd that was the thing that protected me because there was nobody else doing it on my behalf as an employer I know that that's something you have to adhere to. I get the the difficulty that can cause in terms of time and a half or time in a quarter, but those are issues that can be worked around. But under no circumstances should we be taking away that guarantee that these workers are properly paid and respected for what it is that they do. Willie Renie, >> if I can say this delicately, um when when when Jim Fairley was a shepherd, um we didn't have the the standards that we have now with minimum wages um and other other protections for workers. and my and my my only suggestion is perhaps we've moved on from those times but um I I'm digging a hole here so I will not go any further. Um my f my final point is I would like the minister to look into the work that um five farmers are doing on a regionally integrated food economics. They've applied for some funding to do research work as part of a number of pilots across the UK to get more integrated economies on agricultural produce. It's been led by Toby Andre who's a a land owner in my constituency and I think together with the points I've been made earlier on about getting good quality local food into our local schools which I know is something that he's been working on. This is part of that scene and I hope that the minister will get behind that initiative. Thank you. [applause] >> Due to the number of members who wish to speak in this debate, I minded to accept a motion without notice under rule 8143 to extend the debate by up to 13 minutes. I now invite Lloyd Melville to move a motion without notice. >> Moved. The question is that the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes. Are we all agreed? >> That is agreed. David Torrance to be followed by Tim Eagle. David Torrance up to four minutes. >> Thank you, Preidside Officer. I'm delighted to speak in this debate today and to support motion brought forward by Loud Mayo highlighting Scotland's soft fruit sector. Emotion highlights that 2,000 hectares of land in Scotland are devoted to soft fruit production and that soft fruits are a major contribution to Scotland's agricultural economy. Emotion al also quite rightly shines a deserving spotlight on Angus and I readily congratulate our neighbors across the tea for their worldrenowned berry production. Angus is certainly a big boy of Scotland's east coast for soft fruit belt. But you know when it comes to berries sometimes the smaller ones are the sweetest. And while F may not have the acres and the tonnage of Angus, being a little bit closer to the sun makes Feice berries in my opinion a little bit sweeter. The soft fruit sector has a special place in my heart because unlike Mr. Melville and like many of the Kingdom of F residents, one of my first jobs was a summer berry picker picking strawberries and raspberries. So I'm sure that Mr. will forgive me if I use some of my time today to remind the chamber that in the kingdom of F including my own Kotis constituency we boast a soft fruit sector but is every bit as vibrant innovative and essential to Scotland's agricultural story the kingdom has around 225 hectares of soft fruit of those 225 hectares just over half is dedicated to strawberries with blueberries and raspberries account for 15% each and the remainder made up of blackberries black currants and hybrid berries Kingdoms of fruit growers are spread right across five including like farms in eastern Graange farm in East Nuke and five fruits in Cooper. But what folk do not realize that several five farms are actually members of Angus growers. emotions specifically commends Angus growers the outstanding producer organizing based on a growth but I can wholeheartly agree with that commendation especially in the cont contribution of five so food farmers such as stims Tom Stockwell and Barnes Mir's farm the cross regional collaboration demonstrates that the success of Angus growers is deeply rooted in five soil providing an interconnected our regional food economies truly are for other softuit farms such as woodbank farm and Stannis road my own constituency of Gordi selling soft fruit direct at the farm gates is a vital part of the farm economy and a vital link to the local community local bakeries cafes and hospitality business across Gotti and F take immense pride in sourcing fber berries from our summer menus proving that rural production directly feeds urban high street prosperity beyond our local fields I want to highlight Scotland's research and development role that underpins not just Scotland's soft food industry But the global soft fruit industry, many commercial import soft fruits varieties were developed to Scotland. Be that a Glen series of raspberries, the Loch Ness blackberry or a Ben series of black that dominate global production. And we can't forget the hybrids such as Tberry and Loganberry. All these soft fruit varieties were developed and grown here in Scotland and examples of Scotland's scientific soft power. It's crucial that Scotland continues to be at the forefront of agriculture research and development. However, as the motion rightly notes, we must not romanticize the sector to a point of ignoring the steep challenges our growers face. First and foremost, the issue of seasonal labor. Berry picking a skilled, laborintensive job that demands a reliable workforce during an intense harvest window. Woodburn Farm just outside Kicotti employs 100 workers at its peak production time. Many come from Eastern Europe such as Romania, Bulgaria, Lethania and live on site. However, prospectric Brexit immigration restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles with seasonal worker visa schemes continue to place immense stress on producers. Secondly, growers are grappling with severe cost inflation from energy and fertilizer to packaging and logistics alongside increasing unpredictable climate patterns that bring unexpected frost, heat waves, or torrential summer rain. At the same time, farmgate prices often fail to reflect the skyrocketing input costs. Must call for a major supermarket retailers to treat primary producers fairly, ensuring that margins cover the true cost of sustainable local production. In closing, presiding officer, Scotland's soft fruit sector is far more than just a cornerstone of our agricultural economy. It's a proud symbol of our region's heritage, our scientific innovation, and our local communities. From the fields of F and Angus to dinner tables around the world, our growers deliver exceptional produce against increasingly difficult odds. Tim Eagle to be followed by Donald McKinnon. Tim Eagle up to four minutes. >> I will try and keep within that time frame. Well, there's not much that flusters Steven Kerr, but apparently the humble Berry is good enough to do that. And what a resounding speech that was. There's not much I can disagree with tonight to be honest and I thank the member for bringing a debate. I do echo Willie Reniey's I think important comments uh to Maggie Chapman. There is of course if there is a question of uh something going wrong on a farm, we must look into that. But I wouldn't want anyone to take away the impression that this is an incredible uh sector for Scotland's produce which is doing amazing uh work. I'm not from Angus myself. Um so shame so so I didn't pick the berries as a youngster. However, I am and I haven't actually visited um one of the berry farms. It's something that I would very much love to do at some point, but I have driven through it many many times and of course, I've been involved in agriculture for a long time and I'm well aware of the industry. And I was looking up earlier on today some of the great examples of innovation within this sector. My understanding is they're now using drones in some cases for precision pollination, robotics, I believe, that are helping with crop diseases and even new varieties after years of extensive breeding programs. That's incredible. And we're doing that all here right in the heart of Scotland. Of course, we've spoken about Angus, which is great, and we've spoken about F, which is okay. But we haven't yet spoken about the Highlands and Islands because the Highlands and Islands will be the future of the berry sector surely because we produce great uh food. I love debates like this because we all get very territorial uh to the areas that matter to us in Scotland. But we do in the highlands and islands have a combination of great uh produce with plenty of jams and preserves and soft fruits coming on like Caith Nest summer fruits, Wester harder fruit farm, black aisle berries and bane blueberries and I'm sure there are many more that I could mention. But the important point to me is that it doesn't stop there for us here in Scotland. The one point and I've disagreed with the minister on many things since I've come into this uh chamber. But the one thing I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the minister on is that Scotland does produce some incredible produce, food and drink, seafood from across our wonderful nation. Beef and lamb, cheeses, whiskey, the drram, of course, so impressive and we should be so so proud of that. That combination of outstanding natural produce and innovative businesses gives Scotland a food and drinks industry we should be truly proud of. And but the real reason I'm here is one to commend the great humble berry, but also to plead with the minister, and I know this is a conversation we've had before, that I still think there is more that we can be doing to make sure that public procurement in Scotland recognizes this great assets that we have because we should make sure that there's punitive blueberries and strawberries in every hospital and school throughout the country. And over this five years of the parliament, we should make sure that becomes a natural reality. Thank you, Donald McKinnon up to four minutes. >> Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank Lloyd Melville for securing this debate on what is such an important industry for his constituency and for Scotland. I'm clearly not the only one going by the contributions in the debate so far who gets excited when the first Scottish strawberries and raspberries hit the supermarket shelves. The flavor and quality of Scottish berries is surely unsurpassed. that I'm not going to get into this debate of uh which area produces the best ones. Um >> there is no debate. >> There is no debate. >> Um I'm not the greenest fingered coffter. I stick to things a bit woolier, but I do have some black currant bushes in my back garden that seem to grow despite my best efforts. And I enjoyed a small crop from them earlier this summer. But other coffters in my constituency who are better at growing things have found great success with the use of polycrubs and other polycarbonate tunnels that extend the growing season and the possibilities for soft fruit production in our islands where the weather conditions can limit the possibilities and limit the use of conventional tunnels which have a tendency to blow away. More food being grown and consumed locally is something we should aspire to. The Crofting Township that I come from would have been close to self-sufficient 100 years ago with vegetables, potatoes, dairy products, and of course their own meat all being produced locally. While those days will not return anytime soon, the polycrubs have increased the amount of fruit and vegetables being grown in our islands. But back to berries, and thankfully our commercial saw fruit growers are much more skilled than I am. And I understand that last year they saw bumper crops and that this year has followed the trend with an estimated contribution of 188 million pounds to the Scottish economy. The importance of soft fruits is not insignificant. In addition, the exciting opportunities around agro agri tourism and perhaps our soft fruit industry led the way in this area with pick your own farms and I have fond memories visiting these attractions on family holidays to the mainland as a child. And there is no doubt room for further growth in agri tourism going forward. But of course the sector is not without its challenges and access to labor is never far from these conversations as we've already heard this evening. It is right that the UK government has taken a pragmatic view to this with a 5-year extension to the seasonal workers visa scheme. And while I have no doubt that there are elements of this that could be streamlined to work better and areas where further flexibility would be welcome, this is an important element to of ensuring that soft fruit growers are able to access the labor that they need to meet the demands of their business. >> Like take an intervention. >> I thank him for that and and we've had a a very good and and and respectful consensual debate this evening. Um, in that kind of spirit of cooperation, um, he will be aware that Scotland's, uh, agricultural sector has unique demands as compared to the rest of the UK. The prime minister has set out his willingness to engage about further devolution. Would he support calls for a Scottish specific visa scheme? Donald McKinnon, I >> I I wouldn't support a specific Scottish visa scheme, but I do think that that it is an important area where uh the UK ministers should be engaging with Scottish ministers on what the unique needs of the sector are here and and where those needs are actually shared across other parts of the agricultural industry across the UK. Um and and I think that the the consensus that he talked about in the consensual nature of the debate is something that should spill over into that. Um to when we talk about workers and the needs for labor requirements, how those workers are treated is also very important. Making sure that they receive good pay and good living conditions is essential. And as we've heard earlier, while few and far between, isolated examples of these conditions falling short in the sector are are one example too many, but they are few and far between. In closing, can I thank Lloyd Melville for this debate and I pick up on one point he he made earlier around his ask to the minister around procurement and I think that is a really important one to be taken forward and I look forward to hearing the minister's response on that and can I also thank the the soft fruit growers who are in uh the gallery today as well and wish them well um for the remainder of this season and for what's left for what's left of this season and and look forward to a productive 2027. Thank you. >> I now call on Jim Fairley to respond to the debate. >> Well, thank you very much, President. I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to respond to this debate because I've got so many notes written down here that I have no idea how I'm going to follow it, but I shall do my very best. Um, if there was ever a debate that I would be delighted to respond to, it's this one from Lloyd May about the soft fruit sector because I am absolutely passionate about it. So thank you very much for that Lloyd. However, to make the claim that Angus is the best berry producing area of Scotland is completely off the charts. Willy Ren is talking absolute nonsense because it's undoubtedly Persia and that is without doubt the fact. Um you only have to listen to the the Berry Fields of Blair written by a a wonderful old woman name Mrs. Stewart made famous by Hamish Henderson talking about >> Could the minister uh look to the front so that what he said is going to be on the record. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Not sure if I want it on the record. [laughter] However, um the the point I was making is that the the the traditions, the heritage of berry picking in Scotland is absolutely phenomenal. It's one that we should all get behind and all celebrate despite the the little bits of banter between F um Angus and Persia. But it wasn't just F Angus and Persia. There used to be berry fields from the Lotheians into F into Persia into Angus into Aberdeenia. And that has dwindled and it has gotten smaller over the years and that's a pity. But what that also demonstrates is the the the resilience of the sector who are still there and some of the work that is done by the the the producer organizations to capture the the tech the new technologies and stuff that are available to people today is absolutely fantastic and to answer one of Mr. K's many questions. Um the government does support the this the sector through the the the producer organizations and that is about uh allowing people to work together as collaborations and deliver the technology that has allowed the industry to to go on and to flourish. Um now I was supposed to um recognize Lloyd earlier on. Callum K had to leave and he said isn't it great what Lloyd has managed to bring today. Um but he's so young that he boasted that he was so young uh that he's slightly green. Imagine how far he'll go when he ripens. Now that's Callum Kes. I'm not taking responsibility for that but I am delivering it on behalf of Callum K to Lloyd Melville. Um, however, seriously, the the fruit industry, the soft fruit sector is absolutely one of our success stories. It's contributing over 188 million pounds to our economy despite the many challenges, and we've talked about them. Uh, the the the labor shortages as a direct result of Brexit. And I did find it quite odd that Steven K asked us to talk to the UK government given the fact it was his government that brought that in in the first place and did what they did with the seasonal agricultural wages sector. Um all I will give way. Yeah. So >> Steven Kerr >> sure the minister was listening to my speech because when I was when I was once an MP uh I had lobbied along with other Scottish Conservative colleagues to make the arrangements more flexible because I understand the restrictions. That doesn't mean I don't support Brexit. I just mean that we got to get this right. And while I'm still on my feet, I hope the minister will also address the issue of uh gene editing and supporting the James Hutton Institute of which I hope he's a champion. >> Jim Fairley. >> Okay, I'll come back to the gene editing bit. Um but it doesn't remove the fact that he was part of a a government that made this a lot harder for the the berry industry to get the to get the the people that they that they need. Um but despite the challenges despite and there are many challenges the sector has significantly grown its output over the last 20 years and it's been driven steadily by increasing demand for soft fruit and that demand has been driven because it is such a quality product. Um and it's not just here it's uh and in the UK. So far in 2026 Scottish producers have already exported nearly 800 tons of soft fruit to countries around the world. 80% more than they did in 2025. the quality of our produce is being internationally celebrated and enjoyed from the tendest matches at Wimbledon right across to cities in Saudi Arabia. Um but we know that our climate is changing. Uh but the fruit producers have led the way in adapting to the challenges by investing in water storage lagoons, drip irrigation to allow them to continue that production during dry summers and exploring sustainable growing materials to reduce the reliance on Pete. And I've already mentioned the ve the the fruit and veg aid scheme um that allows the the berry sector to continue uh to do that investment. Um but it wouldn't be none of that success would be possible without the expertise that comes from horiculture. That includes dedicated passionate growers and plant breeders, the researchers and our scientific institutes including um what Mr. K was just talking about cuz they work tirelessly to bring new varieties to the market and support the sector in facing the changing climate. And I remember as a boy cuz I am old enough to have gone and picked berries as a boy. We did it to pay for our school uniforms. We didn't get to spend the money cuz we came for a really rough area. I see care and um they had a type of they had a type of berry at that time called clover. And they were beautiful big juicy berries, but they had spines on them that were there to stop you getting your hands on you. You ripped your arms to bits by uh picking the clover. So, I'm very glad that the technology has managed to get rid of some of the the the barriers to actually picking uh the the fabulous fruit that we've got now. I've always been a a huge supporter of the sector. I'm very very uh proud to to to promote it as much as I can. And in 2025, we launched the the berries of Scotland campaign at the Royal Highland Show. That was a collaboration between the Scottish government, Scotland Food and Drink and the Berry Growers of Scotland. It was at the Highland Show we dedicated a stall to showcase the sector. Since then, Scotland Food and Drink have worked with producers to develop short films and marketing campaigns to highlight specific growers and encourage the public to enjoy more of the the quality saw fruit that's grown here in Scotland. And that takes us on to the the public preent task force that I've just uh established. It's chaired by um Assist FM and uh NFU Scotland. And that's about looking at different ways that we can get more Scottish produce into schools, colleges, hospitals, uh, and the prisons, as well as if you take the land the the um uh the the new um the the uh Good Food Nation Act, my apologies, and the plans that will be developed out the Good Food Nation Act. All of these things tie together to get as much uh local produce into the system as we possibly can. So, I hope that answers some of the questions that were that were there. As I said, we we uh as I grew up, I was um um picking berries to to pay for our school uniforms. One of the other great things that we've got now is frames because when I was picking strawberries as a boy, they were on the ground and there was nothing more backbreaking other than tatty picking than picking strawberries from the ground. >> [snorts] >> So, but I believe there is genuinely further scope for us to to really drive the the the soft fruit sector. And I agree with Tamigo. Our beef or lamb or pork or venison or seafood or gin or whiskey global brands and berries should be right up there with all of those uh products to make that Scottish destination agurism, food tourism so important to Scotland. So wouldn't it be fantastic if we could see the celebration of the Scottish berry season right here right across Scotland? They have a a bougie nuvo festival in France. Why should we not have the same thing here in Scotland for our berry sector? So I want us to be bold and ambition and promoting our soft fruit sector um much as we do our our whiskies and our our food. uh which you tap into the heritage that Kers Noel talked about as I talked about the the berry fields of Blair that was written by Bale Stewart and made famous by Henderson and then you take the science that's behind all of that uh that growing um that's going on here in Scotland. There is so much to talk about with the Berry sector that I am very pleased to have responded to this debate and congratulations to Melville for bringing it forward. Thank you. >> [applause] >> That concludes the debate. I close this meeting.