MINISTERS from the UK and Scottish governments have officially opened a new multi-million pound facility near Dumfries designed to boost innovation and sustainability in the dairy industry.
Built by Portakabin on Scotland’s Rural College’s (SRUC) Barony Campus, the Dairy Nexus aims to boost innovation in the major dairy producing regions of Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria.
Tom Arthur, Scottish Government minister for employment and investment, and Kirsty McNeill, UK Government parliamentary under secretary of state for Scotland, unveiled a plaque and toured the laboratories at the new Dairy Nexus building.
The building will facilitate collaboration between researchers, advisors, farmers, and businesses in the sector to identify and solve real-world problems and take opportunities to improve productivity and sustainability.
Ministers and invited guests were shown inside the milk technology unit, which is used for dairy product development testing, sampled local produce, and were also given the opportunity to meet Hilda, the dairy calf who recently made headlines around the world as the face of ‘Cool Cows’, a research project given a grant by the UKRI-funded Digital Dairy Chain.
Kirsty McNeill said, “This exciting project – backed by £4 million UK Government funding and part of our £65 million commitment to Scottish projects on the Borderlands inclusive growth deal – is a great example of collaboration to find innovative solutions for boosting productivity, creating jobs, and decarbonising the dairy sector in the south of Scotland and beyond.
“I look forward to seeing Scotland’s Rural College and Dairy Nexus’ contribution to delivering sustainable growth and helping us promote Brand Scotland’s world-famous food and drink larder. The UK Government is focused on delivering our Plan for Change to turbo-charge economic growth and provide a decade of national renewal and opportunity for all. This includes investing £1.4 billion into important local projects across Scotland over the next ten years, including in Dumfries and Galloway.”
Tom Arthur added, “The Dairy Nexus will boost the value of the south of Scotland’s thriving dairy sector, which supports more than 1,300 producers and nearly 1,000 farms. It aims to drive innovations which reduce carbon emissions and make the dairy sector more productive.
“The facility is the first project delivered through the Borderlands growth deal in Scotland. The Scottish Government has provided £85 million towards the Borderlands deal to create jobs and drive sustainable economic growth across southern Scotland.”
Professor Wayne Powell, principal and chief executive of SRUC, added, “This is a very proud day for everyone involved in Dairy Nexus. It’s a fantastic project that embodies SRUC’s commitment to innovation and place-based transformation. Getting to this stage has taken a huge amount of determination and grit from everyone involved and I would like to thank all our funders and partners for helping us to make it a reality.”
