Brexit 'means fresh look' at boosting Scottish farming

Countries with their own rural universities such as Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and New Zealand had "significant" advantages over Scotland

Britain's departure from the EU could be an opportunity to "look afresh" at boosting Scotland's agriculture industry, a leading expert has said.

Prof Wayne Powell, principal of Scotland's Rural College, said rural economies in places such as New Zealand and Norway were well ahead of Scotland.

The main EU subsidy paid to UK farmers is to be phased out after Brexit.

Experts have said Scotland's economy could be boosted by £4.5bn with a rural university.

The finding came in a report published by the independent consultancy Biggar Economics.

It said countries with their own rural universities, such as Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and New Zealand had "significant" advantages over Scotland, with better performing agriculture sectors.

Golden triangle

Meanwhile, the UK government said it would set up an independent review into how farm funding should be distributed around the United Kingdom after Brexit.

Prof Powell told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that hill farming, used to rear cattle, still needed support.

He said: "The productivity gap between Scotland and some of these comparator countries has widened. So in many ways, perhaps the shadow of Brexit is giving us an opportunity to look afresh at this.

"In the comparator countries, there is a very, very different innovation and education ecosystem that is built on what is called a golden triangle - a partnership between government and business and what are called research-intensive centres, to generate new innovation."

An ambition has been laid out to double the size of Scotland's food and drink sector to £30bn by 2030.

"A focus on driving productivity as part of that ambition is where we think we can generate an additional £4.5bn to the Scottish economy and create new jobs," Prof Powell added.

It is hoped a Scottish rural university could be created by 2022.

For the latest business news as it happens, follow BBC presenter Andrew Black's updates each weekday morning on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme between 0600 and 0900.