Scottish Government

Priority Code

Business Viability and Competitiveness Priorities

Relevant Packages

NIS02

A viable, competitive or sustainable farming sector, through encouraging new entrants to restructure or modernise farm businesses. Particularly Proposals that:

2-4

for Shetland;

• allow a ctive and innovative new entrants to improve business viability through better succession planning, environmental management, health and safety and/or animal health and welfare through, e.g. new or upgraded equipment, infrastructure, information technology, advice and training - where it can be shown that these investments are an essential part of the restructuring or re-orientation of the business

for Orkney;

• encourage new entrants to restructure and/or modernise farm businesses by investing in the necessary infrastructure and equipment including IT. Particularly when these will result in improved business viability, succession planning, environmental management, health and safety and animal welfare.

NIS03

Improved business competitiveness or sustainability, through improved management or improved animal health and welfare by supporting land managers to undertake practical, vocational or business skills training (especially where it complements other capital investments or changes in business structure or orientation). Particularly Proposals that include rural skills training opportunities for land managers involving a range of practical, vocational and business related activity, where this:

2-4 & 35

for Shetland;

• b enefits Proposals detailed in NIS1 and NIS2 above

• supports Proposals which seek to introduce new trainees into core land use sectors in Shetland

• enhances business skills

• helps land managers to increase their skills incorporating environmental and social objectives into their business

• retains traditional skills in current and future generations

• increases capacity to meet new challenges.

for Orkney;

• provides opportunities to enhance capital investments linked to restructuring or diversifying traditional business activities

• assists with training measures which benefit Proposals detailed in 1 and 2 above

• supports proposals which seek to introduce new trainees into core land use sectors in Orkney

• supports for land managers enabling them to increase their skills incorporating environmental and social objectives into their business.

NIS04

Active management or the use of the land for productive purposes, by supporting capital investment in small-scale crofting or crofting-type production. Particularly Proposals that:

2-4, 35 & 36

for Shetland;

• promote a diverse mix of livestock on land within crofting tenure, on land being used to create new crofts or on units of similar scale, particularly where facilities can be shared between more than one croft

• promote development of new, innovative enterprises through, e.g. diversification into new areas such as horticulture, capital investment in land improvement, buildings, provision of access, services and facilities.

for Orkney;

• invest capital into facilities for keeping livestock, particularly cattle, on croft land or small holdings.

• involve innovative uses for croft land, e.g. horticulture.

NIS05

New or expanded demand led markets, through encouraging producers, processors, retailers and others in the supply chain to work together and build capacity. Particularly Proposals that:

1-4 & 35

for Shetland;

• promote greater collaboration and innovation applied to developing, producing and marketing Shetland produce, e.g. by sharing costs in marketing, distribution and administration between businesses or by developing new products in quality food and drink, tourism, textiles, small-scale timber and other craft products.

for Orkney;

• encourage linkage or development of new or existing supply chain would be assisted.

• establish or improve sustainable direct marketing across Orkney or beyond.

• facilitate the use of local produce at events within Orkney, e.g. conferences, festivals, cultural events

• shorten the links between producer and consumer, e.g. between processors and distributors

• encourage co-operation between businesses selling under the Orkney brand.

NIS06

Local wealth and reduce food/timber miles (especially in relation to food, drink, woodfuel and biomass), through expansion of local sale and add value processing of primary agricultural and forestry products. Particularly Proposals that:

1, 33 & 35

for Shetland;

• promote stronger links between local land-based businesses and the local community through, e.g. Community Supported Agriculture and farmer's markets type initiatives

• expand opportunities for local sales, more local added value processing and greater use of local primary produce by the public sector.

for Orkney;

• expand local sale opportunities or give added value processing

• involve collaborative marketing of Orkney produce

• create or maintain employment and lead to rural diversification in Orkney, e.g. biomass, biogas production.

NIS07a

a. Enhanced viability and improved quality of primary products, where such will improve economic viability, through improved management practices (e.g. improved timber quality through good silviculture), particularly in areas that will most benefit from sustainable community development, employment and rural diversification, and through improvements in transport infrastructure, e.g. agreements developed in partnership with regional Timber Transport Groups. Particularly Proposals that:

1, 3-4, 33 & 35

for Shetland;

• increase the quality of primary products providing demonstrable benefits for sustainable community development by increasing local employment and diversifying rural activity through, e.g. better management and economic performance of production of food and other agricultural products.

• increase local production of crops under-represented in Shetland such as fruit and vegetables and traditional crops.

for Orkney;

• improve the management and performance of food production.

• demonstrate the potential of alternative production systems that boost local production and benefit community development.

NIS07b

b. Organic conversion and maintenance - develop the production, processing and marketing opportunities for the organic sector in Scotland and in doing so deliver biodiversity, pollution control, energy efficiency and soil protection benefits. Particularly Proposals that:

for Shetland;

• increase output of organic products, especially from small-scale mixed units where this can be demonstrated to deliver economic, biodiversity, pollution control, energy efficiency and soil protection benefits.

for Orkney;

• promote conversion to, and maintenance, of organic status to meet the developing local and national need for organic produce and to deliver the additional benefits for Orkney as described at 7b.

1, 2, 4, 9-11, 14, 17, 27-30 & 34