Grant scheme boost for north-east food producers
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A Turriff vegetable company and a Banff oat producer are amongst food and drink businesses in the north-east who have been awarded a share of £5 million to invest in infrastructure, purchase new equipment and upgrade or replace facilities.
In total 30 businesses will receive Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation (FPMC) grants to support the food supply chain, safeguarding 1386 jobs and creating 97 new ones.
The projects include improving storage facilities for oats, investing in new root vegetable processing equipment and purchasing new dairy equipment.
Announcing the funding, Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “The coronavirus pandemic has underlined the importance of a strong and effective food supply chain and an increased consumer desire for locally produced food.
"This support will enable established producers and businesses across Scotland look to the future and capitalise on emerging marketing opportunities, as well as offer support to start-up businesses.
“This scheme uses joint Scottish Government and European Union funding to give local businesses a helping hand, helping to ensure the long-term viability of our primary producers.
"Investing in local producers is an important step to help sustain and create employment opportunities within our rural communities.”
Local recipients include Melrose Farms of Banff who receive £342,235 as part of a £1.1m project to build a facility for dressing, drying and storage of oats.
Stuart Allan of Melrose Farms said: “We are very grateful to have received this FPMC grant.
"It will provide great opportunities and potential within our field of work and will be used to build a new facility on our farm for dressing, drying and storing oats.
"It will also help support our future plans for the business to grow.”
Benzies (Partnership) of Turriff receive £398,465 of a £1.3m investment to diversify from retail packing to further processing of vegetables using out of spec and damaged carrots and potatoes where possible to reduce waste.
PJ and I Stuart from Strathdon receive £8612 as part of plans to build a new steel framed building for the slaughter and plucking of turkeys reared on farm.
HM and PP Swire of Laurencekirk were awarded £182,216 as part of £600,000 works to build and equip an extension to its existing property for deer processing on farm, making it the first organically certified facility for the slaughter and preparation of venison products in Scotland.
A & L Urquhart of Banchory will install an on-farm butchery with preparation and kitchen areas, including plant and equipment to fit out butchery and received £29,269 towards the £73,000 cost.
Middleton of Rora Dairy Produce Limited of Longside, Peterhead were awarded £101,577 of a quarter of a million pound project to reduce its dependence on milk processors and maximise added value to the premium milk on farm.
The project involves the segregation of a part of the production area to create a new chilled glass packing area as well as equipment including a pasteuriser, an incubator tank, a homogeniser, steam boiler, plastic pot filling line, rotary glass filling machine, labelling system separator and inkjet printer.
