A NEW national dairy production, research and education facility in Stirling could be on the cards – if local dairy entrepreneur, Robert Graham junior, gets the go-ahead for a housing development on land adjacent to the current Graham's The Family Dairy plant in Bridge of Allan.

Should that planning application be approved, Mr Graham has pledged to facilitate a 'step change' dairy industry investment strategy, to increase productivity, support skills development and accelerate new product development.

Calling on Scotland’s dairy industry to 'think big' in response to the economic uncertainty of Brexit, Mr Graham said he believed the dairy sector could create opportunities that would see Scotland benefit in many transformational ways, through increased job drivers, stronger international trading relationships and economic resilience.

Said Mr Graham: “Dairy is perfectly positioned to support job creation at a global scale. In doing so, the sector can grow Scotland’s GDP, forge career pathways and support education programmes.”

To make the most of the market potential at home, Mr Graham called for an immediate increase of Scotland’s domestic production capacity: “It’s never been more important than now for Scotland to play to its strengths and think big. We need to grow Scotland’s domestic production capacity now, to develop and sell more home-grown products and support businesses.

“As a third-generation family business, we have grown by continually investing in three things – people, brands and modern production facilities. I believe these values apply equally to the Scottish economy," he said. “However, re-balancing our industrial strategy needs to come swiftly. Increasing Scotland’s domestic processing capacity will be the pipeline for developing new products, boosting innovation, delivering inclusive skills development and improving Scotland’s export. All are central to building a resilient post-Brexit economy.”