Multi-Million Pounds Funding for Farmers

The First Minister has increased support to £5m for a livestock database.

Scotland's farmers are meeting tough new rules on sheep tagging by a multi-million pound fund.

First Minister Alex Salmond announced the funding boost as he toured a farm in Fife. The electronic tagging of sheep became compulsory at the beginning of the year.

The Scottish Government is now spending £5m on the development of a simplified system which links farms, markets, abattoirs and ferry terminals.

The First Minister also launche

d a new St Andrew's Day Scotch lamb marketing campaign.

He said: ”Farming is fundamental to Scottish life. Agriculture plays an integral role in the wider community and sustains jobs in primary production and throughout related sectors.

“This additional £1m funding brings the total Scottish Government support to finding cost-effective solutions to electronic identification to £5m. It will benefit farmers as well as meeting EU requirements and protecting animal and public health.

“The Scottish Government has fought tirelessly to secure concessions on this issue - even though we faced an uphill struggle after the UK Government signed up to EID several years ago.

“We are now working to help realise the long-term benefits of electronic identification, such as sharing information along the production and processing chain - all of which could contribute to improving the quality of our world-class produce.

“By 2050, the nine billion people on this planet will need food. With 70% of Scotland only suitable for grazing, one of the best ways we can do that is by raising livestock. Through government and industry working together, we can go further. We can use animal health to reinforce Scotland's position in the globalised markets of tomorrow.

“We already have our fantastic reputation for quality produce. I would like children across Scotland, in our cities, towns and villages to learn about the food they eat, from plough to plate and reinvigorate Scotland’s relationship with food, the land, and our farmers.

"We are working with our schools to make this happen. The potential for food from Scotland is huge, and there is much more we can do to build on it.”10

Scotland's farmers are meeting tough new rules on sheep tagging by a multi-million pound fund.

First Minister Alex Salmond announced the funding boost as he toured a farm in Fife. The electronic tagging of sheep became compulsory at the beginning of the year.

The Scottish Government is now spending £5m on the development of a simplified system which links farms, markets, abattoirs and ferry terminals.

The First Minister also launched a new St Andrew's Day Scotch lamb marketing campaign.

He said: ”Farming is fundamental to Scottish life. Agriculture plays an integral role in the wider community and sustains jobs in primary production and throughout related sectors.

“This additional £1m funding brings the total Scottish Government support to finding cost-effective solutions to electronic identification to £5m. It will benefit farmers as well as meeting EU requirements and protecting animal and public health.

“The Scottish Government has fought tirelessly to secure concessions on this issue - even though we faced an uphill struggle after the UK Government signed up to EID several years ago.

“We are now working to help realise the long-term benefits of electronic identification, such as sharing information along the production and processing chain - all of which could contribute to improving the quality of our world-class produce.

“By 2050, the nine billion people on this planet will need food. With 70% of Scotland only suitable for grazing, one of the best ways we can do that is by raising livestock. Through government and industry working together, we can go further. We can use animal health to reinforce Scotland's position in the globalised markets of tomorrow.

“We already have our fantastic reputation for quality produce. I would like children across Scotland, in our cities, towns and villages to learn about the food they eat, from plough to plate and reinvigorate Scotland’s relationship with food, the land, and our farmers.

"We are working with our schools to make this happen. The potential for food from Scotland is huge, and there is much more we can do to build on it.”

Scotland's farmers are meeting tough new rules on sheep tagging by a multi-million pound fund.

First Minister Alex Salmond announced the funding boost as he toured a farm in Fife. The electronic tagging of sheep became compulsory at the beginning of the year.

The Scottish Government is now spending £5m on the development of a simplified system which links farms, markets, abattoirs and ferry terminals.

The First Minister also launched a new St Andrew's Day Scotch lamb marketing campaign.

He said: ”Farming is fundamental to Scottish life. Agriculture plays an integral role in the wider community and sustains jobs in primary production and throughout related sectors.

“This additional £1m funding brings the total Scottish Government support to finding cost-effective solutions to electronic identification to £5m. It will benefit farmers as well as meeting EU requirements and protecting animal and public health.

“The Scottish Government has fought tirelessly to secure concessions on this issue - even though we faced an uphill struggle after the UK Government signed up to EID several years ago.

“We are now working to help realise the long-term benefits of electronic identification, such as sharing information along the production and processing chain - all of which could contribute to improving the quality of our world-class produce.

“By 2050, the nine billion people on this planet will need food. With 70% of Scotland only suitable for grazing, one of the best ways we can do that is by raising livestock. Through government and industry working together, we can go further. We can use animal health to reinforce Scotland's position in the globalised markets of tomorrow.

“We already have our fantastic reputation for quality produce. I would like children across Scotland, in our cities, towns and villages to learn about the food they eat, from plough to plate and reinvigorate Scotland’s relationship with food, the land, and our farmers.

"We are working with our schools to make this happen. The potential for food from Scotland is huge, and there is much more we can do to build on it.”