A SCHOLARSHIP in animal nutrition has been awarded to a SRUC student, by animal nutrition specialists, Norvite.

Claire Simonetta is studying for a BSc honours in agriculture at SRUC's Ayr campus, and has lived here since 2012, after to moving from Switzerland to farm with her partner at Torloisk, on the Isle of Mull, and was awarded the scholarship after a successful interview.

Miss Simonetta was also the winner of the 2015 Agriscot Business Skills Award, and has recently won a study trip to Ireland, courtesy of the co-operative support body, SAOS.

"I have no doubt that undertaking the project under the supervision of Norvite and SRUC will be invaluable experience for me," said Miss Simonetta. "It will help broaden my knowledge and enhance my agricultural studies for a successful final year at college."

Miss Simonetta's project will investigate whether regularly used methods of assessing the production performance of commercial sheep flocks might also be useful in helping to predict their financial performance, or gross margins.

Norvite’s technical director David McClelland commented: "Claire’s project proposal and interview clearly identified her as a strong candidate for this year’s Norvite scholarship. At a time of great market volatility and uncertainty; measuring farm output and predicting financial performance could not be more relevant."