UK: Scottish Ag minister opens Advanced Crop Storage facility

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new advanced crop storage facility at The James Hutton Institute, officially inaugurated by Jim Fairlie The Scottish Government’s Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity. This facility in Invergowrie is poised to optimize post-harvest solutions, enhancing the quality, nutritional content, and longevity of crops through innovative research into optimal storage conditions,” says the Advanced Plant Growth Centre team.

Funded by the Scottish Government and UK Agri-Tech Centre through Innovate UK, our facility focuses on innovative strategies to reduce waste and ensure a sustainable food supply by exploring methods to maintain crops in a ‘near-sleep’ state post-harvest to preserve their inherent qualities and manage diseases more effectively.

During his visit, Minister Fairlie also explored the Crop Research Centre of Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) at the site, underscoring the broad research capabilities of the facility.

Jim Fairlie (Scottish Government) and Derek Stewart, Robert Hancock and Colin Campbell with the James Hutton Institute pictured (Photo credits: APGC)

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡:
The facility is integral to the UK-wide Crop Storage and Post-harvest Solutions (CSPS) network, collaborating with ADAS and the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich. This network is dedicated to bolstering the resilience of food supply chains through pioneering research in crop storage and post-harvest approaches.

The APGC team is excited about the potential of this new facility to drive forward research on vital topics such as energy efficiency in crop storage, sustainable packaging materials, and innovative post-harvest disease management techniques. “This development marks a significant step forward in enhancing the agricultural sector’s capabilities in preserving harvested produce and managing it effectively.”

For more information:
The James Hutton Institute
Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH Scotland
Tel.: +44 (0)344 928 5428
[email protected]
www.hutton.ac.uk