From BBC Scotland‘s Kevin Keane, this morning:
Scientists have made a major breakthrough which could save the Scottish potato industry from collapse. A pest called potato cyst nematodes (PCN) has been steadily infecting fields and rendering them useless for growing seed potatoes.
then 11 paragraphs down:
The sector is worth £4.5bn to the economy with almost 80% of Britain’s seed potatoes coming from Scotland. Those seeds are needed for the UK’s food security with potatoes being a huge staple of the British diet.
Another reason why, contrary to the economic basket case they love to paint us as, they are really desperate to keep us – oil, gas, electricity, whisky, salmon, water and now, chips.
8%? Remember that ‘popular’ meme here in the past?
See:
Return of the Meme! 8% of the population but 100% of the aluminium smelters
8% of the population but 62% of the fish landings: How will we survive?
Scotland: 8% of the population but more than 13% of the exports and soaring!
Why Scotland has 8% of the population but 0% of the UK’s worst places for child poverty
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
“UK dependent on Scotland again with 8% of the population but 80% of the seed potatoes needed for food security”
Just another example , one of many, that proves Scotland, as a nation within the UK, is not the poor relation , as portrayed by many within the UK media and too via some UK politicians, that then needs to be, as a nation , subsidised.
But by who ?
The UK or England ?
They say by the UK but then we , Scotland, are a part of the UK so then do we not also contribute to that same UK ?
So are we , Scotland, then not also helping to subsidise ourselves if their argument is correct in that it is the UK that supposedly subsidises us ?
It’s a nonsense.
We , Scotland, put in more than enough via our resources and food/drink products in way of financial benefits as a revenue to the UK Treasury to more than justify owt that we get back from them.
Which amount to a measly return for what we deposit into the UK.
As in reality what we get back is a substantial shortfall compared to what we would get if we were independent !
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I don’t know of any update on the export of seed potatoes from Scotland to the EU but it was a worry.
https://www.britishagriculturebureau.co.uk/updates-and-information/continued-calls-to-find-solution-that-enables-eu-uk-trade-of-seed-potatoes/
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Brexit has lost Scotland £Billions. Scotland did not vote for it. Westminster starves pensioners and children. They starve their mothers that gave them birth. The UK the most unequal place in the world. Westminster totally incompetent, malicious unionist politicians. Corruption and lies.
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Ah, but …. as BBC Scotland News and Current Affairs repeatedly says, “We voted as ONE country and the majority was for LEAVE”.
What’s that? Northern Ireland voted Remain and it is still in the customs union, the single market and its people have rights as European citizens??
As David Davies said during the negotiations, “This island nation has no land border with the EU so we do not need border negotiations”. But these perfidious FOREIGNERS pointed to a map which said there is a land border. So Davis shut his gob. Boris Johnson lied that there ‘will be no border down the Irish Sea’ and agreed to one. The DUP fulminated, but as ever REALLY PERFIDIOUS ALBION betrayed them again. There is ONE country, but Northern Ireland is not a part that Westminster wants to speak about.
So, who needs seed potatoes other then Paddies?
Alasdair Macdonald
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England’s BREXIT leaves a huge democratic deficit in the ‘UK’. It should only have been allowed had ALL four nations voted a majority for ‘leave’, and as for the ‘deal’ Scotland was told to suck it up, you will get what you are given and no Nicola you do not have a voice or any say in the fantastic (catastrophic) ‘deal’, LOLZ!
Expletives.
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Brexit has lost CAP payments and support for the farmers. EU grants and loans. Access to the nearest biggest markets for food and goods products. Shared Defence costs. Lost EU reciprocal world trade agreements for goods and services. Scotland is losing £Billions because of Brexit.
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Pests and diseases affecting potatoes have been a recurring problem since they were first introduced to England in the 16th century, so what’s behind Kevin’s hyperbolic tripe this time, what is the incoming news BBC Scotland have been instructed to obscure ?
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Aye I’d nlot be sowing taht English seed potatoe, yikes! The ‘senior potatoe reporter’ 🙂
When the chips are down, England will be begging Scotland for ours! 🙂
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