This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Agricultural Business Development Scheme
22/03/2004
A total of 46 farming families have been awarded funding
to invest in their farm businesses or to diversify outwith
farming.
The Agricultural Business Development Scheme (ABDS) will
provide £743,545 to help kick start projects in the
Highlands and Islands.
The scheme is aimed at farming and crofting families,
and provides assistance towards investment in their
agricultural holding and support to the development of new
or existing diversification businesses.
Deputy Rural Development Minister Allan Wilson said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed to building a
sustainable rural economy. The Agricultural Business
Development Scheme plays a key role in helping us to
achieve that goal.
"This announcement will help 46 farming families to
enhance the profitability of their businesses, creating
employment and providing additional services in rural
communities throughout the Highlands and Islands.
"The scheme has supported scores of innovative
diversification projects, including the conversion of a
redundant farm building into an art gallery, studio and
photography darkroom on Acharacle. As well as a golf course
clubhouse at Ballachulish and a visitor centre with
tearoom, gift shop and display area, overlooking the
historic and picturesque Castle Stalker, near Appin.
"Just as important is the opportunity the scheme offers
to invest in agricultural holdings. Grant assistance from
the scheme is now helping hundreds of farm businesses
throughout the Highland and Islands to improve efficiency
and is providing better working conditions, as well as
improving animal welfare and waste management facilities
and standards."
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.
728 applications have been successful since the ABDS was
launched in late 2000 with total grants of £8,963,964 being
awarded.
ABDS 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 Executive and the EU.
The overall budget for the scheme is approximately £17
million which is broken down into yearly tranches in the
H&ISTP.
At the moment, the scheme has the potential to support
more projects if eligible applicants come forward with good
proposals. It should be noted however that scheme budget
could be reduced or reallocated, if the spend profile fails
to match the annual targets agreed by the European
Commission.
Applications 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) and VisitScotland.
Industry interests are represented by NFU Scotland, the
Scottish Crofting Foundation and the Scottish Landowners
Federation, who can send representatives to observe the
proceedings. All of the above organisations were involved
in the Scheme's design.
The closing date for the next round of ABDS applications
is April 8. ABDS is scheduled to run until 2006.