First Minister supports abattoir hopes as business case funding announced

First Minister John Swinney has lauded the benefits of a proposed a new abattoir during a visit to Orkney, as £15,000 in funding is secured for the project.

Mr Swinney visited Orkney Auction Mart on Monday, which has received the grant to help build a business case for a new, fit-for-purpose processing plant.

The funding is part of the Scottish Government’s Small Producers Pilot Fund, which this year has provided a total of £256,500 to support private kill abattoirs including in Shetland, Wishaw, Barra, Dingwall and Mull.

The First Minister said: “A new facility in Orkney would bring many benefits for the people who live and work here, supporting economic growth in the area and the future sustainability of the island’s food production industry.

“We will continue to work with HIE and the Orkney Islands Council as the project develops.”

Read more, including a full interview with Mr Swinney in this week’s edition of The Orcadian.