Campaign to promote Scottish lamb set to receive £200k boost

A campaign to promote Scotch lamb will benefit from £200,000 of new funding.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the cash as she met farmers and butchers on a visit to the Turriff Show in Aberdeenshire yesterday.

The funding will support Quality Meat Scotland’s 2018 Scotch lamb promotional campaign.

The meat product is one of 15 Scottish protected geographi- cal indicators under EU law. Ms Sturgeon said: “The food and drink sector play san important part in Scotland’ s economy, so it is important we promote our premium produce.

“The strength of our farming industry would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of the farmers who work tirelessly to produce high-quality meat.

“That hard work and premium product is recognised by the protection given by the EU to the Scotch lamb brand and we will be working hard to continue that protection in the future. I’m pleased we could support this year’s campaign which will help encourage consumers to buy Scotch lamb.”

Jim Mclaren, chairman of Quality Meat Scotland, said :“Today’ s announcement by the First Minister is fantastic news for the Scottish sheep industry and it’s a great boost for our producers.”

The Chequers proposals for Britain’s exit from the EU hammered out by the Cabinet last month is still the best option both for the UK and the EU, Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, insisted yesterday on a visit to the Turriff Show in Aberdeenshire.

The proposals have already triggered the resignation s from the Cabinet of B rex it negotiator, David Davis, and Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, but Mr Gove said the deal proposed by the Prime Minister, Teresa May, and adopted unanimously by the Cabinet on the day was still the best way forward.

“A trading agreement offering tariff-free access to the European market for all goods, with reciprocal arrangements for EU products coming into Britain is the right approach,” said Mr Gove. “A free trade agreement, if accepted by Europe, would be in the b est interests of farmers and consumers in Europe as well as the UK.”

Mr Goverul ed out the Norwegian option, recently advocated by Lord David Owen, and said no deal at all – an option which trade secretary, Liam Fox, indicated at the week-end was becoming an increasingly likely outcome – would be a“really bad” option and one which the gov- ernment wished to avoid. “Mr Fox was right to flag up the possibility of a‘ no deal’ but the government was determined to secure a good free trade deal,” said Mr Gove.

Asked for his reaction to a leaked passage from the forthcoming memoirs of former Prime Minister David Cameron describ - ing Mr Gove as “mad” and accusing him of having behaved like a “lunatic” at the last election, Mr Gove said: “I wish him well.”

First Minister Ni cola Sturgeon, also attending the show, said failure to secure a deal with the EU would be unacceptable:

“The Prime Minister should be firmly ruling out any possibility of a ‘no deal’ in the Brexit negotiations,” she said. “The Scottish Government is plan- ning for ever y eventuality but the UK government should be “talking up” the prospects of a deal being successfully negotiated rather than dwelling on the risks of no deal being achieved.”

Ms Sturgeon announced £200,000 of new funding to support Quality Meat Scotland’s eight-week autumn promotional campaign for Scottish Lamb.

The First Minister confirmed the funding as she helped Huntly butcher, Charles R aeburn, barbe - cue branded Scotch Lamb at the show. The sheep industry plays a significant part in the red meat industry which is worth £892 million to Scotland.

“The food and drink sector plays an important part in Scotland’ s economy ,” said Ms Sturgeon.