Plans for an abattoir in Dumfries and Galloway have taken a major step forward thanks to a Scottish Government grant.

Dumfries and Galloway Food Co-operative has been awarded a Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation grant of almost £1.3 million towards the cost of an abattoir at Craignair, near Dalbeattie.

Currently, the vast majority of livestock produced in Dumfries and Galloway is slaughtered outwith the region – either in other Scottish plants or further afield.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "By providing a slaughter and meat processing facility, the new Dalbeattie abattoir will provide Dumfries and Galloway farmers and butchers with a local option instead of having to ship their livestock out of the area.

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"As well as savings on haulage costs, there will also be environmental benefits thanks to the reduction in food miles.

"Local abattoirs play an important part in the food chain and this grant clearly demonstrates our commitment that animals should be slaughtered as close to where they are reared as possible. This investment will provide an excellent boost for Scotland’s red meat sector as well as consumers in Dumfries and Galloway."

NFU Scotland Chief Executive Scott Walker said: "Scotland's very successful food and drink strategy has brought Scottish farmers closer to the marketplace and consumers than ever before.

"Small scale abattoirs, such as that proposed for Dalbeattie, give individual farmers the opportunity to add value to their livestock and the potential to engage more directly with their customers through a number of routes - direct sales, farm shops, specialist retailers, farmers markets, hotels and restaurants. This is a positive development that gives livestock farmers in the area greater choice in the way they can market their stock."

(GK)