Scottish food producers receive £250k grant

Small grants of £5,000 will be given to local food and drink producers, as well as regional food and drink networks, which traditionally have found it hard to attract funding.

The fund will be open to applicants in May and will be overseen by Scotland Food & Drink.

Speaking at the Scotland Food & Drink annual conference, rural secretary Fergus Ewing said promoting locally sourced and locally produced food was one of the Scottish government’s key commitments.

 “The success of those producers then helps to bolster regional economies, and ensures that local food and drink continues to be produced in the area it originates from – which can be integral to a product’s identity,” ​said Ewing.

‘A robust market at home’​

“Given the continuing lack of clarification from the UK Government regarding our position with those international trading partners, post-Brexit, it’s more important than ever that we ensure a robust market at home for our regional food and drink producers.”​

Meanwhile, last month, Scottish food and drink exports were worth approximately £6bn in 2017​ – almost £570m more than in 2016, the Scottish government revealed.