Highland Liberal Democrat campaigner Alan MacRae is leading calls for funding withdrawn from a network supporting local food producers across the Highlands & Islands to be immediately restored.

Mr MacRae has written to Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead MSP, following the publication last week of the Scottish Government’s National Food & Drink Policy at the Royal Highland Show.

£90,000 core funding was withdrawn from the Highlands & Islands Local Food Network in March this year as a result of major continuing cuts at the region’s enterprise agency.

At the time, the Scottish Government said the suspension of the network and the redundancy of its staff would provide “an opportunity for everyone involved in local food in the Highlands and Islands to take stock and think about how it is supported at a strategic level.”

There had been hopes that the publication of the Government’s long-awaited strategy would see the restoration of funding, but the document says only that the Government will “investigate the scope for national support and development of local food forums and local food networks in order to support local producers.

Mr MacRae – who co-owned and ran a restaurant before moving with his family back to his native Skye – said:

“The potential of top quality food and drink produced from the Highlands & Islands needs no introduction.

“Demand for produce at the top of the market remains very strong, but many small producers need support to access the opportunities which exist both locally and further afield so they can re-invest in their industry, create jobs and succeed.

“At the worst possible time, the SNP’s cuts at HIE pulled away that support by forcing the work of our Local Food Network to stop.

“Our local SNP MSPs supported those cuts and said they were ‘certain’ support would be restored through their Government’s National Policy. In the event, after a year’s wait, we have a document which could scarcely be more vague – and which only promises more dither and delay.

“That isn’t good enough. In Edinburgh, civil servants churn out jargon-laden strategies for their SNP masters and tell us it is ‘time to take stock’. We need funding back in the Highlands & Islands now so our first rate food and drink industry can lead our economy out of recession.”

Notes:

* £90,000 of core funding was withdrawn from the Highlands & Islands Local Food Network by HIE, forcing the suspension of the organisation and the redundancy of its staff on 20th March 2009. On 10th March, HIE’s Head of Food & Tourism wrote to the organisation saying:

“Highlands & Islands Enterprise is tasked with accelerating growth of the economy and under the new Government Economic Strategy is focussing our limited support on those businesses with greatest potential for growth. We are also tasked with encouraging those businesses who are operating out with local markets. These factors combined result in HIE being unable to continue to fund HILFN.”

http://www.hilocalfood.net/Userfiles/File/HIE%20letter%20to%20HILFN%2010...

* In a letter which appeared widely in the local press, Highlands & Islands SNP MSP Dave Thompson claimed “[the suspension of HILFN] had nothing whatever to do with HIE's policy or budget,” adding: “I am also certain that support for local food producers and groups will be forthcoming on a sustainable basis and look forward to positive action in this respect.”

See http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/9212/Food_netw...