This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Minister visits Orkney islands
23/08/2004
Ross Finnie, Minister for Environment and Rural Development, today begins a two-day visit to Orkney and Stronsay during to see how the Executive is working to meet the particular needs of Scotland's remote island communities.
During his Orkney visit, the Minister will see the crop research and development work going on at Orkney College which is benefiting the whole Highlands and Islands area. He will also see the on-line facilities for cattle tracing at the island's auction mart.
While on Stronsay the Minister will meet with representatives of the body working to develop the island under the Executive's Initiative at the Edge. The Stronsay Development Trust are working with the Executive and Highlands and Islands Enterprise amongst others to bring together their own ideas for the long-term regeneration of the island.
Mr Finnie said:
"Scotland's islands offer a real challenge to the Executive's commitment to maintaining strong, prosperous and growing communities. However, we are alive to these challenges and are determined to promote rural economic development and tackle barriers to opportunity.
"The Orkney Isles offer tangible examples of what the Executive are doing to support our island communities. Agricultural diversification is a priority for the economic development of the Highlands and Islands region. Orkney College's Agronomy Institute's research and development programme is aimed at identifying novel crops and investigating their suitability for use on the Highlands and Islands.
"The Executive's on-line Cattle Tracing Scheme has been a resounding success in Orkney with 75% of cattle keepers now having access to it. This is another example of how the Executive is working to bridge the digital divide by providing computer access throughout the country.
"Stronsay is a good example of how the Executive's Initiative at the Edge is helping Scotland's most remote communities engage with key public services and develop projects to secure a more sustainable future."
The Orkney College Agronomy Institute opened in June 2002 and has been developed to provide a crop-based research and development facility for the Highlands and Islands area. It receives support from Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Enterprise, UHI Millennium Institute, European Regional Development Fund and SAC.
Agricultural diversification has been identified as a priority for the economic development of the Highlands and Islands region and the Institute's R&D programme has been developed to specifically address diversification in the crop sector.
Orkney Auction Mart was formed when the East and West Mainland Marts amalgamated some 10 years ago. It moved to its current, purpose built facilities at Hatston about 8 years ago. Throughput in 2003 approximately 16,000 sheep and 17,000 cattle.
The Executive's CTS (Cattle Tracing Scheme) project developed the availability of CTS at all full time marts throughout Scotland with a coach on hand to assist where required. The computers and connections are provided by the Open Scotland scheme to provide Internet access to all areas and communities in the country.
The Initiative at the Edge (IatE)/Iomairt aig an Oir (IaaO) was established in 1998 to try to overcome the difficulties which Scotland's most remote and fragile areas face in securing priority support from the main public sector agencies. The Initiative currently brings together the Scottish Executive and its main agencies to encourage a strengthened, integrated and partnership approach to the uncertainty facing fragile communities.