New food grants set to put more local produce on menus

The Scottish Government has revealed that 13 projects have been awarded funding under the fourth and latest round of the Food Processing, Marketing & Co-operation Grants (FPMC) scheme. Total funding to date of £16 million under the scheme has already created over 240 new jobs. The investment is expected to generate additional investment in excess of £50 million in the food and drink sector in Scotland. Funding in this round includes over £625,000 for Angus, almost £600,000 for Lanarkshire, and nearly £300,000 for Renfrewshire. The latest round of funding coincides with an event in Perth, organised by Scotland Food & Drink and supported by Scottish Enterprise, offering producers advice and support on how to survive the downturn and identify new business opportunities. Successful projects announced today include: £189,046 for Angus Soft Fruits for the purchase and installation of a new refrigeration plant and packing line, £117,333 for potato supplier Branston Ltd to modernise the production line at its Abernethy site, and £596,000 for Argent Energy (UK) Ltd to construct a new pre-processing plant for bio-diesel production in North Lanarkshire. Rural Affairs and Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "This latest round of funding will help strengthen Scotland's reputation for having some of the finest, freshest produce. It's just part of the £75 million investment that we're making in the food and drink industry over the next five years. "Although the food and drink sector is bearing up remarkably well in the current climate we remain determined to do all we can to support the industry. The scheme has already created almost 250 new jobs and helped safeguard another 2,400." Today's grants are part of the National Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Grants Scheme, which in turn is part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).