Ewing sees cooperative benefits

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing visited two leading farming cooperatives to discuss the potential for more collaboration in the farming, food and drink industries.

Mr Ewing visited Montrosebased daffodil and potato marketing co-op, Grampian Growers, and Scotland’s largest machinery ring Ringlink, which is based in Laurencekirk.

The visits, which were organised by farm co-op support organisation SAOS, set out to show the recently appointed cabinet secretary the benefits of cooperation in the agricultural sector.

Mr Ewing saw examples of the “co-op advantage” such as pooling resources, economies of scale and sharing best practice and leading-edge technologies.

SAOS chairman George Lawrie said: “Cooperation is about self-help and accepting responsibility for determining our own future.

“Cooperative business is more crucial than ever for Scottish agriculture and we want to demonstrate to the cabinet secretary how our cooperation in farming, food and drink provides opportunities and resilience that are required for success in these changing times.”

SAOS vice-chairman Mark Clark, who is also managing director of Grampian Growers, said: “Grampian Growers is just one of many success stories in Scotland’s agricultural co-op sector.

“We were delighted that the cabinet secretary was keen to find out more about us and the huge potential for Scotland’s farming, food and drink industries through further cooperation and collaboration.”

Andrew Moir, who is chairman of Ringlink, which has 2,700 members and 36 employees, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to tell the cabinet secretary more about the work of Ringlink and, in particular, to highlight the immense value our internship programme offers to the future of our industry.”

Following his visits, Mr Ewing said: “Collaboration among farmers, and between farmers and other parts of the food chain, builds such resilience as it takes advantage of economies of scale, shares best practice and benefits from a stronger price-negotiating position.

“This can only be a good thing for the industry as it adds significant economic and other benefits and the Scottish Government is keen to work with SAOS to encourage and support further cooperative activity.”