Latest news with #DairyNexus
Daily Record
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Rare opportunity to take over dairy farm on outskirts of Dumfries
A rare opportunity is being offered to take over a dairy farm on the outskirts of Dumfries. Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) is inviting prospective dairy farmers to apply to manage its Acrehead farm near the Crichton. The chance has arisen as SRUC is moving the focus of it's academic dairying activities to its Barony campus at Parkgate, which is home to the new Digital Dairy Chain and Dairy Nexus innovation hub. Principal and chief executive of SRUC, Professor Wayne Powell, said: 'This new venture is a unique opportunity and we're proud to be able to support the future of farming by making SRUC land available to the farmers of tomorrow. 'If you're a knowledgeable farming entrepreneur seeking a new opportunity, or a farmer early on in their career, ready to take on the rarely available chance of a next step up, we would like to hear from you.' SRUC hopes offering the chance to manage the farm will support the future of the dairy industry by prioritising key issues such as reduced emissions, biodiversity, human health and economic growth After submitting a successful business plan, the chosen contractor will receive a share of the milk cheque dependent on the performance of the plan, while running the farm and taking part in knowledge exchange activities. SRUC will maintain responsibility for the condition and legal compliance of the farm and also provide the herd and machinery. Acrehead covers 130 acres and comprises highly productive grasslands, with outputs reaching 12t/ha DM, along with sufficient buildings and infrastructure to support a herd of approximately 210 cows. Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway. Overwintering facilities, milking parlour and associated plant form part of the offer, along with a house nearby. This is a five to 10 -year proposal. Acrehead sits on the Crichton unit, with strong connections to the nearby Barony, allowing the successful applicant to benefit from the new dairy facilities. The Barony will also soon house the Langhill Experiment, which won SRUC a Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2017. Prospective candidates can register their interest with the Scottish Land Matching Service . The closing date for registrations is midnight on May 11, with SRUC hoping to announce the successful contractor at the Royal Highland Show on June 19.
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Multi-million pound dairy innovation centre opens
A multi-million pound facility designed to drive innovation in the dairy industry and make it more environmentally friendly has been officially opened. The research and development laboratories have been built at Scotland's Rural College's (SRUC) Barony campus near Dumfries. The Dairy Nexus project aims to decarbonise the dairy industry and boost sustainability in milk production. It has been funded with £4m each from the UK and Scottish governments and £738,00 from South of Scotland Enterprise. It is expected to be home to about 60 staff - 15 of them new. Those behind the development say its location means it is ideally placed to boost innovation in the major dairy-producing regions of Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria. They hope it will allow researchers, advisors, farmers and businesses to identify and solve real-life problems, and take opportunities to improve sustainability and productivity. The labs were officially opened by UK government minister for Scotland Kirsty McNeil and Tom Arthur, Scotland's employment and investment minister. Russel Griggs, who chairs South of Scotland Enterprise, said Dairy Nexus also aimed to bring further jobs and investment to the area. He added: "It will drive innovation to allow the dairy sector to decarbonise, as well as accelerate its productivity, enhance animal welfare and develop new products from dairy resources." It is the first project to be delivered through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. In 2019 the UK and Scottish governments confirmed funding of up to £350m for the region through the original plans for the Dairy Nexus had to be revised due to financial pressures said to be caused by Brexit, inflation and the Covid pandemic. The original scheme would have seen a two-storey building but that has been replaced by a single-storey structure built by Portakabin
