Nicola Sturgeon has said a protocol on freight trade must be agreed between the UK Government and France "without delay", or risk "devastating" consequences.

The First Minister said the problems with freight coming into and leaving the UK will not result in food shortages, but emphasised the issue was “of real and immediate concern” to food exporters.

A ban was announced by the French government on Sunday night of hauliers carrying freight across the Channel after the discovery of a new, more transmissible strain of coronavirus.

But Nicola Sturgeon has warned against panic buying, saying there is unlikely to be food shortages as a result of the stoppage.

Nonetheless, Ms Sturgeon spoke out about the “serious impact” the closure of the border between UK and France was having as she urged Westminster to reach a deal to resolve the issue, as thousands of truck drivers are stranded.

READ MORE: Scottish seafood producers may face "fatal blow" due to border lockdown

The Scottish First Minister told Holyrood: “The situation is serious, urgent and, for our food exporters, rapidly deteriorating.

“It needs the UK Government to reach agreement with France, without delay, to get freight moving again. There is no time to lose.”

Ms Sturgeon stressed there were “no concerns about medicine supplies at this stage”.

She also insisted there were “no immediate concerns about food supplies”, adding: “Supermarkets are well stocked. So there is absolutely no need for anyone to buy more than planned.”

However, she said: “If the situation is not resolved in the next day or so, we may start to see pressure on some fresh produce after Christmas – but that is not a concern right now and I hope it will not arise at all.”

Nicola Sturgeon said the “real and immediate concern” was the impact the border closure was having on food exporters, especially those trying to sell Scottish seafood to Europe.

She stated: “This is the peak time of year for seafood exports and the Christmas export trade is now almost certainly lost.

“This is devastating for our world-class seafood businesses and they need our support.”

The Scottish Government is speaking to the sector about the “need for immediate financial support”, Ms Sturgeon added, saying she had also raised the issue of compensation at the Cobra meeting on Monday.

READ MORE: French border lockdown: Stranded truckers call for help

She insisted: “What the sector needs most of all is for the UK Government and France to agree a protocol to get freight moving again without delay.

“If that doesn’t happen almost immediately, the sector stands to lose its New Year export trade too.”

Scottish ministers are “pressing the UK Government to give this the utmost priority”, the First Minister added.

Nicola Sturgeon also said the Scottish Government was “ready to help in any way we can” in dealing with the situation.

She added: “Since any solution is likely to include mass testing of freight drivers, that includes a willingness, if the terms of the agreement allow, to provide testing facilities for our sector here in Scotland.

“I want to assure the sector, parliament and the public generally that I and my ministers will remain fully and actively engaged on these matters until they are resolved.”

Meanwhile, James Withers, the chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink, said the situation was “deteriorating”.

He said: “Contrary to an upbeat assessment from the Prime Minister yesterday, the situation has been deteriorating with a growing backlog of lorries.

“We understand the number of lorries currently parked up in the wrong place in the UK is now in the thousands.

“There has been a very small amount of seafood that was caught in the backlog that has managed to switch to being unaccompanied freight and get to France.

“But the vast bulk of the problem remains and is worsening. The UK Government should be holding a Cobra meeting again today and focusing all efforts on agreeing a protocol with the French authorities.”