This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Farm Business Development Scheme
24/03/2004
Deputy Rural Development Minister
Allan Wilson today announced that
a further 36 farm diversification projects will benefit from
Scottish Executive funding.
Awards of £615,000
have been made to farming
families under the Farm Business Development Scheme (FBDS)
which will help to establish new, or expand existing
diversified,businesses.
A wide range of businesses,
including provision of tourist accommodation,
a millinery business
and agricultural
contracting services, have successfully secured funding in
the past.
Mr Wilson said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed
to supporting a sustainable rural economy.
This scheme makes a valuable contribution in
delivering that objective.
"
In addition to generating
additional income, diversificationbusinessesalso lead to the creation
of new services, employment opportunities and wider
benefits to rural communities throughout
Scotland.
"The Farm Business Development Scheme
has funded541 projects to date. I would encourage all farmers
within the Scheme areinterested in
diversification to seek further information
onfind out
whether this Scheme could help them
with their business plans."
The Farm Business Development Scheme
(FBDS) was launched in July 2001 and is an innovative
business development scheme for farmers and their immediate
families operating across Scotland, covering the area from
East Moray in the north to
the English Border.
The FBDS is a discretionary and
competitive scheme which can provide variable grant
assistance of up to 50% for farming families wishing to
diversify either within or out with agriculture.
Five locally based Project Assessment
Committees (PACs) assess applications.
The PACS are chaired by the Scottish
Executive and consist of representatives from partner
organisations including local authorities, local enterprise
companies, Scottish Natural Heritage, local tourist board
representatives.
NFU Scotland and the Scottish Landowners
Federation represent industry interests.
There were a wide variety of
applications under the measures eligible for FBDS
grant.
For example:
Alternative agriculture
through the growing of non-traditional crops
Providing rural services
such as agricultural contracting, construction
services, forestry services and boarding
kennels
Improving facilities for
tourists and bringing redundant farm building into
use for new purposes such as providing good quality
tourist accommodation.
There are five local Project
Assessment Committees (PACs) covering: Dumfries and
Galloway; Scottish Borders; East South (Forth Valley,
Angus, Perth and Kinross, Fife, Lothian); East North (the
areas around Aberdeen); and West (Clyde Valley and
Ayrshire).
The Scheme is delivered locally by 6 Project
Officers - one for each of the PACs except East South where
there are two.