Investment totalling more than £50,000 is being made to support the cattle and sheep sectors in Lewis and Harris.

The backing is coming from Western Isles Enterprise (WIE); the EU-backed Community Economic Development programme (CED); Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) and the Crofters Commission.

The investment is part of the local implementation of Action 35 of the Scottish Executive's Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture, which charged WIE, in partnership with others, to work with the crofting and farming community to improve the prosperity of farming businesses and developing alternative sources of income.

The assistance will part fund the co-ordination of activity for the Lewis and Harris Cattle Producers Group and the Lewis and Harris Sheep Producers Association. The investment will assist the agricultural sector at a time when the effect of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been predicted to reduce agricultural activity on the Western Isles.

The projects have been devised followed consultations with the cattle and sheep producers on Lewis and Harris. Both groups identified a range of key improvements and areas of opportunity, which would require co-ordinated effort if progress were to be made.

The Lewis and Harris Cattle Producer Group project involves a two-year appointment of a co-ordinator who will be responsible for developing a range of projects including organising training events and seminars; developing producer skills; developing sectoral events and croft open days; encouraging links with other organisations and encouraging new market opportunities. The project is being backed by £5,000 each from WIE, CnES and the Crofters Commission, along with £14,900 from CED.

The project involving the Sheep Producers Association sees input of £2,800 from WIE, £2,600 from both CnES and the Crofters Commission and £10,000 from CED. The aim of this project is to develop farm and croft visits; assess skills needs and put in place business skills courses for crofters; establish a network of producers finishing lambs; secure contracts with shops and supermarkets; and arrange industry visits to the mainland and overseas.

The key elements linking both these projects is the need for greater market orientation in light of changes to CAP and the development of new skills to allow local uptake of these market opportunities.

These two projects are seen as the initial investments to be made through the Action 35 process.  It is anticipated that further community-initiated projects, covering different areas of the Western Isles, will be assisted over the coming period through the Action 35 mechanism.

In addition to supporting 'on the ground' projects, Action 35 is looking at a range of strategic issues that impact directly on the crofting and wider communities.  This includes seeking to identify solutions to issues such as derelict land; land usage; housing and simplifying the processes associated with the agricultural sector.  

Commenting on the projects, WIE's chief executive Donnie Macaulay said:  "It is anticipated that reform of CAP will lead to significant change to traditional support mechanisms and will create greater need for increased market orientation in the agricultural sector.

"This investment in co-ordination will give the cattle and sheep sectors the support they require to enable them to review their activities; identify market niches and be best placed to take advantage of these market opportunities as they arise.  I hope this will be the first of a range of benefits that will flow from the Action 35 initiative." 

John Murdo Kerr, chairman of the Lewis and Harris Producers said: "As cattle producers we recognise the need to move forward and are committed to playing a full role in relation to the Action 35 process. We need to identify areas to focus our activity on and a co-ordinator is key in allowing us to do this, given the multiple activity involved in crofting."