The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Soft-fruit research gets £1.3m funding boost
James Hutton Institute in Dundee will carry out ‘essential’ research
Defra Secretary Liz Truss used her Royal Highland Show visit yesterday to announce a £1.3 million funding package for soft fruit research to be delivered by the James Hutton Institute, Dundee.
The money, backed by an expected £700,000 of industry co-funding, will come from the UK Government’s £70m Agri-Tech Catalyst programme
One of the selected projects will use the latest advancements in plant genetics to identify traits in raspberries that will make them more resilient to the scourge of raspberry root rot, a disease which has bedevilled the crop for more than 25 years
Blueberry research will be aimed at identifying traits that will make this relatively new crop better adapted to growing in Scotland’s cooler climate.
Extending the UK blueberry season to reduce the reliance on imports will also be a research priority.
Ms Truss said: “These projects dem- onstrate that by investing in the most cutting-edge techniques, and working collaboratively across the UK to raise standards, we can boost productivity and help more Scottish and UK producers to compete in international markets.”
Professor Bob Ferrier, director of research impact at the James Hutton Institute, added: “This research is essential for the sustainability and commercial success of the Scottish and UK berry industry.”