The International Barley Hub, the flagship project of the Tay Cities Deal, is facing a £10-£12 million shortfall in funds that threatens to compromise future farm-related research at the James Hutton Institute (JHI).
The Invergowrie-based institute received £62m from the Tay Cities Deal, and while construction of some buildings is complete and work on the key £44m scientific block has begun, construction prices have risen by 25% since funds were approved and the costs of archaeology works and a new road junction were much higher than originally estimated.
Last month, JHI signed construction contracts with McLaughlin & Harvey worth £28.7m for the latest stage of the project, which aims to establish Scotland as a leader in global food security and crop resilience.
As costs have risen, JHI have prioritised infrastructure but already ancillary buildings costing £2.5m have been put on hold, roads within the site have not been tarred and the equipment budget – which included £5m for a phenotyping centre – has been slashed.
Speaking during a tour of the site this week, the director of the International Barley Hub (IBH) Professor Robbie Waugh warned: “We’re probably around £10-£12m short and we’ve had to make cutbacks which will take up some of that and allow the buildings to be built – but we might not have everything in them we wish we could have.
“A shortfall will lead to shortcomings.”
JHI said the absence of the phenotyping centre was the most concerning element as it is critical to the science they pledged to deliver in their original business case. The institute added: “However, we are now speaking to other funders and have been successful in being awarded £1m from the Wolfson Foundation recently and we are exploring another couple of possibilities which seem hopeful.”
JHI provided a breakdown of costs which included the estate site purchase (£4m), the new access road and infrastructure (£4m), demolition of existing buildings (£3m), the Mylnefield Farm buildings and Barley Field Centre (£15m) and the IBH and Advanced Plant Growth Centre (£44m).
The new Mylnefield Farm centre houses machinery stores, grain stores and workshops as well as all the institute’s agronomists and Balruddery farm staff, including JHI’s head of farms, Euan Caldwell.
The project is scheduled to be completed by July 2024.
