Multi-million pound dairy innovation centre opens

The centre aims to enhance animal welfare while boosting sustainability in milk production

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 deal.

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The original scheme would have seen a two-storey building but that has been replaced by a single-storey structure built by Portakabin