Almost 20 Scottish agri-food businesses have been awarded a share of more than £6 million to invest in infrastructure, and upgrade their facilities and equipment.
It’s hoped the scheme will help to safeguard a total of 345 jobs and create 156 new ones across Scotland.
The Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation (FPMC) scheme funding includes an award of £808,317 to Glasgow firm WEST Beverages to create a new production and packaging facility in Scotland, creating 33 full-time jobs.
Quality Pork Processors in Brechin were also amongst the recipients, receiving £558,965.40, to increase infrastructure and purchase equipment, helping to safeguard 72 jobs and create a further three jobs in the process.
Welcoming the news, Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “Food and Drink continues to be one of Scotland’s success stories of recent years, with a turnover of more than £13.9 billion last year – and directly employing more than 110,000 people across the country.
“The Scottish Government is doing everything we can to support the sector’s long-term ambition to double in value to £30 billion in the next 12 years.
“The FPMC scheme is an important part of that ambition, using joint Scottish Government and European Union funding to give local businesses a helping hand, which will ensure the long-term viability of our primary producers, and maximise export markets for our fantastic Scottish produce.”
Petra Wetzl, managing director of WEST Beverages, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded an FPMC grant.
“This will allow us to build a state of the art drinks production and packaging facility in Scotland enabling not only WEST to achieve its ambitious growth plans for the next 10 years but also to support other thriving drinks businesses across Scotland by helping them with their ongoing kegging, bottling and canning requirements.”
Other benefitting businesses include:
- Duncan Farms Limited in Turriff, Aberdeenshire, awarded £445,781.57;
- Aberdeen & Northern Eggs in Strichen, Aberdeenshire, awarded £715,157.86;
- Stirling Potatoes in Arbroath, Angus, awarded £538,298.70;
- Growers Garden in Cupar, Fife awarded £363,348.00;
- Mackintosh of Glendaveny in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, awarded £192,618.20;
- Ardler Potato Co-operative in Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, awarded £555,532.60;
- Mackies at Taypack in Errol, Perth and Kinross, awarded £356,554.34;
- D.A. Baillie & Sons in Glenfarg, Perth and Kinross, awarded £43,653.05;
- Agricultural Management Haddington in Haddington, East Lothian, awarded £101,862.12;
- Millers of Speyside in Grantown on Spey, Moray, awarded £37,374.80;
- Aberbothrie Potatoes in Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, awarded £53,562.40;
- Quality Pork Processors Limited (QPP) in Brechin, Angus, awarded £558,965.40;
- A. Massie & Son in Forres, Moray, awarded £260,443.99;
- Cayley Walton Partners in Foulden, Scottish Borders, awarded £70,761.17;
- The Ardgay Game Factory in Tain, Highland, awarded £122,117.64;
- Grahams the Family Dairy Group in Stirling and Cowdenbeath, Stirling and Fife, awarded £682,051.78;
- A.H. & H.A. Brown in Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway, awarded £122,681.16.
