This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scottish Produce on show
25/06/2004
The best of Scottish produce was today celebrated
at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston.
Minister for Environment and Rural DevelopmentRoss Finnie was taking part in the four day show
where he launched the "only the shell can tell" national
marketing campaign by the Scottish Egg Producer Retailer's
Association (SEPRA).
New Country of origin labelling on eggs is a
requirement under the EU Egg Marketing Regulations.
Eggs
produced inScotlandwill be stamped with "SCO" rather than "UK" and a new advertising campaign will carry the strap
line "only the shell can tell" which was granted a patent
by the Patent Office in September 2003. A further
number is added to the area identification to indicate
either organic (0), free range (1), barn (2) and cage (3).
The Executive has provided a grant of £8,808 towards
the £22,020 costs of the campaign (40 per cent of
the campaign cost) under the non capital element of the
Agriculture Processing & Marketing Grant Scheme.
It is hoped that this campaign will help to
boost egg production in
Scotland.
The Minister also took
time to congratulate this years Food Excellence award
winners who were present in the Food Hall.
Mr Finnie said:
"Quality is the core
strength of Scotland's food and drink industry and the
evidence is here in abundance at the Royal Highland
Show.
"Agriculture is the
primary cog in the food chain and this event demonstrates
the
determination of producers to meet the
highest quality standards.
"However, ensuring good quality
produce is only part of the story. We also need to make
certain that we market our produce effectively. We want to
see a farming industry in Scotland that is increasingly
focused on meeting consumer demand.
"To become the best of the best we
need to improve links through the chain and encourage
primary producers to continue to work more closely with
consumers."
Mr Finnie also visited the Forestry Commission
Scotland stand where he tried out the forest health
bikes.
In a joint effort to highlight the benefits of
forest cycling, Forestry Commission Scotland teamed up
with the British Heart Foundation at the Show to
provide 'health checks' for everyone taking to the
saddle.
Forestry Commission Scotland is the biggest provider
of outdoor recreation in the country and is pioneering the
development of mountain bike routes to entice more people
out into the forests for exercise.