Rural and Environment

This week: 03/05/19

May 3, 2019 by charlottebarbour No Comments | Category Agriculture, Climate Change, food and drink

New Climate Change proposals

Scotland will go greener, faster under new, tougher climate change proposals. The Scottish Government has lodged amendments to the Climate Change Bill to set a legally binding target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 at the latest.

Read more on the latest climate change proposals 

South of Scotland Economic Partnership

Funding for skills and economic development across the South of Scotland has been announced by Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing.

Through the South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SOSEP), the former Johnston school building in Kirkcudbright, which is currently lying empty, will be transformed into a Dark Skies Visitor Centre and Planetarium.

The building will also include a child care facility, a youth activity centre and commercial premises for local business start-ups – as a result of £300,000 investment from the South of Scotland Economic Partnership. Meanwhile a new training programme for community leaders in the South of Scotland will drive tourism projects across the area with £30,000 of SOSEP funding.

A further £60,000 will see key buildings in Hawick’s historic town centre restored as part of a wider plan to reinvigorate the area and encourage more visitors to the town. 

Read more about the South of Scotland Economic Partnership

Whisky industry statistics

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing welcomed a report from the Scotch Whisky Association showing that the industry has grown by 10% since 2016, and is now worth £5.5billion to the UK economy.

Brexit session

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing hosted a Brexit Q&A session with Clydesdale farmers to hear direct about their most pressing concerns and issues regarding Brexit and other topics, and to reassure them that the Scottish Government is doing everything it can to prepare.

KTIF funding

Creating new breeding technology and developing new bedding for cattle are among the exciting agriculture projects to share more than £175,000 of investment.

Awarded through the £6 million Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF), the funding will help drive forward innovation in farming and food production, diversifying jobs and boosting incomes.

Announcing the funding during a visit to Dourie Farm in Port William in Galloway to meet with one of the funding recipients, Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon said:

“Our rural businesses are full of people with the skills, expertise and potential to drive the rural economy forward. All they need is the right support, delivered at the right time. This £175,000 investment will help diversify their skill-set and ensure innovative technology is at the forefront of our farming and food production industry.

“The project I’m visiting today is to receive funding to focus on addressing the slow rate of genetic improvement in dairy cattle on the female side and to deliver new breeding technologies.

“The Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) were granted funding for two other projects. The first of those is looking at the practical, environmental and financial feasibility of using woodchip bedding for livestock in the west of Scotland, the second aims to evidence the financial and environmental value of moving breeding cattle to lower cost natural resources.

“Innovation is key to transforming our productivity and is one of the four economic priorities of this Government.”

Tags: Agriculture, brexit, climatechange, innovation, KTIF, whisky

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