Scotland Office Minister John Lamont made a series of visits to see how digital innovation funded by the UK Government is helping to grow the rural economy.

Mr Lamont took a tour of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Barony Campus near Dumfries to see how the cash boost from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is supporting the milk industry by bolstering the Digital Dairy Chain.

He also called in at nearby Barnbackle Farm, part of Quality Meat Scotland’s Monitor Farm Initiative, and one of nine farms involved in a four-year programme to improve sector productivity, profitability, and sustainability.

He said: “The UK Government is proud to support the United Kingdom’s £127bn food and farming sector as we recognise that British farmers produce some of the highest-quality food in the world and contribute billions to our economy.

“Driving forward new farming schemes like the Digital Dairy Chain is exactly where we need to be to ensure the sector remains profitable and sustainable. It’s vital as we build on the commitment to keep producing 60 per cent of the food we consume here in the UK.”

Investment from UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund has been ploughed into SRUC to examine how dairy farmers can best capitalise on the 1.9billion litres of milk produced in the area.

The UK government said the Digital Dairy Chain will provide world-class opportunities for research and business innovation in advanced, sustainable, high-value dairy processing.

The five-year project will deliver advanced manufacturing processes to help businesses develop new products and explore new markets. It is hoped to create more than 600 new jobs while contributing £60m to the local economy by attracting large dairy processors, boosting industry-focussed research.

Mr Lamont added: “This investment will really put the area on the world map as a leader in advanced, sustainable, and digitally-connected dairy manufacturing.

“It will offer farmers, processors and producers in the dairy supply chain a valuable resource for support, business development and industry expertise to take the sector from strength to strength and increase the opportunity for growth.”

Principal and chief executive of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Professor Wayne Powell, said: “Led by SRUC, this hugely exciting project is an excellent example of an innovation cluster, focused on developing digital connectivity, stimulating research, new high-value product development, supporting business growth and attracting talent and skills across South & West Scotland and Cumbria.

“We will soon open the second round of the collaborative R and D funding competition with a pot of £1 million, which is an outstanding opportunity for industry and academia to unite and continue to transform the dairy sector.”

At Quality Meat Scotland’s monitor farm Barnbackle, Mr Lamont met the family who run the 500-acre site - Richard McCornick and his partner Hayley Currie, and Richard’s parents, Andrew and Janice McCornick.

The farm has 150 suckler cows, 20 store cattle, and 700 ewes.

Monitor Farm Scotland programme manager, Beth Alexander, said: “We were delighted to welcome Mr. Lamont to the Dumfriesshire Monitor Farm and showcase the work we are doing on one of the nine farms in the programme with rotational grazing, sheep management strategies, and upcoming projects like the 2024 lambing initiative in collaboration with the local vet practice.

“The Monitor Farm programme is farmer-led, farmer-driven and aims to enhance the profitability, productivity, and sustainability of Scotland's agricultural sector. Through practical demonstrations and the exchange of best practices, we use farmer expertise to progress the industry and address challenges. This visit presents an excellent opportunity for farmers to engage directly with the government and share their issues.”