The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Grants on offer to help support and promote local producers
SNP Government to offer £5,000 to each as it highlights value of Scottish produce
The Scottish Government is making £250,000 available to promote locally-produced food and drink.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing yesterday announced plans to launch a scheme offering grants of around £5,000 each to help promote Scottish produce.
The scheme, which will open in May and be overseen by Scotland Food and Drink, will offer support to local food and drink producers and regional food and drink networks.
“Scotland has some of the most diverse, instantly recognisable regionalised food and drink in the world – from Arbroath smokies, to Stornoway black pudding, Orkney cheese, Shetland lamb, and whiskies from across the country – to name just a few,” said Mr Ewing at the Scotland Food and Drink annual conference in Glasgow.
“It’s one of our key Programme for Government commitments to promote locally sourced and locally produced food.
“The success of those producers then helps to bolster regional economies and ensures that local food and drink continues to be produced in the area it originates from – which can be integral to a product’s identity.”
Meanwhile, rural insurer NFU Mutual has teamed up with Scotland Food and Drink to create a new award for young people.
The award, which has been launched to coincide with the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People, sets out to celebrate the success of those aged between 16 and 26 who own, work or study within businesses in the food and drink sector.
The application period for the award runs from May 1 to July 31.
Scotland Food and Drink chief executive James Withers said: “I hope that this new award will bring forward some truly inspirational stories of young people who are forging a future not just for themselves but for the entire Scottish food and drink industry.”