Following several meetings with Potato Council, Claire Baker MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment tabled a motion on the success of the Scottish potato industry at home and abroad. It covered the contribution potatoes make to the economy and the importance of British seed potatoes, 80% of which are grown in Scotland. It was signed by 31 MSPs from a range of parties, ensuring that it gained cross party support.
Subsequently, a Members’ Debate was secured in Parliament. Claire Baker MSP, Angus MacDonald MSP, Mary Scanlon MSP, Dr Richard Simpson MSP and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, spoke very positively about the industry and its contribution to the economy and public health as well as the merits of a sustainable crop.
Opening the debate, Claire Baker MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, said: “Last September I hosted a Potato Council round-table event in Parliament. It was one of the most interesting meetings that I have been to and I left a complete convert to the value of Scottish produce and the importance of potatoes which we hardly ever do enough to promote.
“Potatoes are affordable, environmentally friendly, a staple of a healthy diet, nutritious and a leading Scottish product. Scotland is the second biggest producer of seed potatoes in Europe; we export to more than 40 countries, that is quite impressive.”
Potato Council then hosted a lunch time event attended by 15 MSPs to mark 10 years of Grow Your Own Potatoes and is arranging for MSPs to visit to schools taking part in the Grow Your Own Potatoes scheme.
Potato Council board member and chief executive of Pseedco Ltd, Alistair Redpath, was in attendance. He said: “It was a really good opportunity to explain the importance of seed exports to the Scottish economy and also to raise the issue of the decline in consumption and discuss ways in which to address this. MSPs can lead the way, helping the industry to make potatoes more attractive and appealing to consumers and promoting their health credentials.”
Stu Baker, marketing and PR executive at Potato Council, said: “Securing a Member’s Debate in Scottish Parliament was a fantastic achievement, enabling us to gain widespread awareness of the important contribution that potatoes make economically, environmentally and also to public health. By delivering these messages to policy makers, we can help ensure that potatoes remain a firm fixture on Scottish plates.”
