Plan unveiled for national farm advice service
© Tim Scrivener A new partnership between Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Adas plans to give farmers greater access to independent advice backed by world-leading research and innovation.
The joint venture will see SRUC and Adas pool their expertise to offer farmers a UK-wide agricultural and rural knowledge service – including a new digital platform, consultancy services, education and training courses for the food and farming sectors.
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Adas has 400 staff working across England and Wales. SRUC’s SAC Consulting arm has 24 offices across Scotland and Northern England. It offers a range of specialisms in soil nutrition, livestock and agronomy, branding and marketing of food products, and analytical testing.
Established more than 75 years ago, Adas has a long-standing history of innovative thinking, delivering on national and international projects in a wide variety of industries and public sector services, while SRUC has been at the heart of Scotland’s rural economy for more than a century.
SRUC director of commercialisation and innovation Colin MacEwan said: “The combined expertise of both Adas and SRUC creates an extraordinary wealth of knowledge that will be of vital importance to the future of our food and farming industry.”
Adas managing director for agriculture Jackie Evans said the venture would combine the best of both organisations. She added: “Both offer end-to-end services, with a wide array of industry-relevant skills and expertise, so this will be a comprehensive offering.”