Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is spending almost £1 million on new teaching facilities on the Craibstone campus in Aberdeen.
More than £900,000 will be spent on creating a new engineering workshop and demonstration areas for farm machinery, while a new livestock shed, and animal handling equipment will also be erected.
Ground was broken this week on the site at Tulloch Farm, an organic unit on the Craibstone campus, where students are helping to manage 400 sheep, 100 finishing cattle of mixed breeding, and cereals.
Skills
SRUC principal, Professor Wayne Powell said:“Helping to prepare agricultural students with the skills and knowledge to move with the times and take advantage of new opportunities has been and always will be an important part of what we do at SRUC.
“This is not just an investment in buildings, but an investment in the food producers of tomorrow who will be at the vanguard of addressing climate change and biodiversity loss through adoption and deployment of new innovative technologies and land use practices.”
Earlier this year SRUC said it was spending £50,000 on creating new student welfare and teaching facilities.
NFU Scotland vice president Andrew Connon welcomed the investment and said farmers were desperate to see improvements in agricultural education facilities in the region at a time of great change in the industry.
The project is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2022.