This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Support for food producers in Highlands & Islands
28/08/2003
The Minister for the Environment and Rural Development Ross Finnie, today signalled the Scottish Executive's continuing commitment to food producers in the Highlands and Islands.
The Minister was visiting Tio Ltd, an organic vegetable processor based in Forres. The firm recently received funding under the Processing and Marketing Grant scheme. The scheme is run by the Scottish Executive as part of the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme.
The July 2003 round of the scheme provided almost £400,000 of support to a number of projects in the Highlands and Islands. Tio Ltd received £372,496 with additional back up of £86,916 from Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise to part-fund an organic packhouse. This adds to the £37,000 awarded earlier under the scheme towards processing equipment.
Mr Finnie said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed to improving links between producers, processors and consumers. Scottish produce is highly valued, and rightly so. We want to see more of the value added through processing retained on the farms and in the communities where it is produced.
"Since its introduction in 2001, the Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme has delivered over 3.6 million pounds towards the cost of capital investment and improved marketing of agricultural produce in the Highlands and Islands. This has resulted in a total investment of over £13 million and is expected to create over 90 jobs in the area.
"I am delighted that the scheme is successfully providing practical help to producers and processors, such as Tio Ltd, to ensure that local produce is processed here, rather than out with the area. Projects assisted will increase returns to producers, create new added value products and encourage businesses to be more competitive in the market place."
The Processing and Marketing Grant scheme is designed to secure outlets for Scotland's farm produce and encourage farmers and growers to collaborate together to secure new markets and shorten the supply chain to consumers. This will increase their awareness of market requirements, and in turn improve their ability to supply those markets.
The Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme is part of the EU funded Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme and will deliver grant assistance of over £7 million until the end of 2006. Back up assistance to capital projects is provided by Local Enterprise Companies.
3 projects were awarded out of the July 2003 tranche of the Highlands & Islands Agriculture Processing and Marketing Scheme. Details as follows:
- Tio Ltd, Forres - £372,496.00: Construction of dedicated packhouse which will wash, grade, pack and despatch produce.
- The Really Garlicky Company, Nairn - £8,465: Drying, storage and grading facilities
- Gearadhmor, Barra Western Isles - £5,932.00: Development of marketing strategy
£386,893 of EU Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme funds were awarded in July, with further UK public funding of £93,086. These grants supported a total investment of £1,282,787 and are expected to create 10 jobs, while safeguarding a further 26 jobs.
The next round of the scheme will be in January 2004.