This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Grants boost for Highlands and Islands
25/06/2003
Grants worth£439,489 were today awarded to 34 projects
under the Agricultural Business Development Scheme.
Announcing the awards, Rural Development Minister Ross
Finnie highlighted the scope for farm families to come
forward with further innovative proposals.
The successful projects cover a range of investments in
farm holdings, including, livestock accommodation, waste
management and storage facilities as well as
diversification projects outwith agriculture such as
accommodation for tourists.
Mr Finnie said:
"These awards provide support to farmers to help with
restructuring and improving efficiency. They can make a big
difference to farmers, their families and local communities
throughout the Highlands and Islands.
"This further support brings the number of successful
applications approved to 847, totalling grant of £7.3m
towards overall project costs of £21.8m. The Scottish
Executive is committed to building a sustainable future for
rural Scotland. These awards can, and do, help individual
farmers and crofters achieve this for their business.
"That is why I am delighted to offer my congratulations
to the successful applicants and to wish them well in their
new projects.
"I still think ABDS can do more to support innovative
ways of generating income for farmers and farm families to
support our rural communities. However, to do more we need
to see a stronger flow of good proposals for
diversification and alternative income generation. I hope
farmers in the Highlands and Islands will come forward with
further innovative proposals in the near future."
ABDS is an innovative business development scheme for
farmers/crofters and their immediate families and operates
across the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional
Programme Area (H&ISTP). Farmers in the rest of
Scotland are eligible to apply for grant assistance under
the Farm Business Development Scheme.
847 applications have been successful since the ABDS was
launched, with total funding of £7,348,455.
ABDS was launched in late 2000, it is a discretionary
and competitive scheme providing variable grant assistance
of up to 50% to farmers wishing to restructure or
re-orientate production or to diversify either within or
outwith agriculture. The scheme is co-financed by the
Scottish Executive and the European Union.
The overall annual budget for the scheme is set out in
the H&ISTP. At the moment, the scheme has the potential
to support more diversification projects
if applicants come forward with good projects. The
budget for diversification projects may have to be revised
downwards if there is an insufficient flow of good
diversfication proposals to justify the current
allocation.
Projects are assessed by a Project Assessment Committee
(PAC). The non-agricultural diversification PAC is made up
from representatives of the Scottish Executive and from
partner organisations including local authorities,
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Natural
Heritage (SNH), VisitScotland. Industry interests are
represented by NFU Scotland, the Crofting Foundation and
the Scottish Landowners Federation who send representatives
to observe the proceedings. All of the above were involved
in the Scheme's design.
The closing date for the next round of ABDS applications
is 8 July 2003. The ABDS scheme will run until 2006.