A NEW partnership between Scotland’s Rural College and ADAS promises to give agri-businesses across the UK greater access to the latest independent advice.

The two research and education bodies will pool their expertise from Scotland and England to offer a 'truly national' agricultural and rural knowledge service for farmers, growers and all agricultural businesses.

Through the joint venture, new and existing partners will be able to tap into the experts at ADAS and SRUC – which includes SAC Consulting – and will be the vehicle for more collaborative research, operating across fields such as agriculture and climate change; soil health; synthesis of evidence to support policy development; data; ecological modelling and genomics; sustainable diets and food production systems; animal welfare; and sustainable food supply.

Among the new partnership’s priorities will be the launch a new digital platform to provide a shop window for its pooled expertise, to be announced in the spring.

ADAS has 400 staff across England and Wales, while SRUC, through SAC Consulting, have 24 offices across Scotland and Northern England, offering a range of specialisms in soil nutrition, livestock and agronomy, branding and marketing of food products, and analytical testing.

SRUC commercialisation director Colin MacEwan said: “The combined expertise of both ADAS and SRUC creates an extraordinary wealth of knowledge that will be of vital importance to the future of our food and farming industry. We are excited about the opportunity that this new and dynamic partnership will bring to support future farming and food systems.”

ADAS agriculture and land management managing director, Jackie Evans, said: “The venture will combine and enhance the strengths of both organisations, for the benefit of rural businesses. Both offer end-to-end services, with a wide array of industry-relevant skills and expertise, so this will be a comprehensive offering. We are excited to see where the venture takes us and welcome relevant enquiries from the rural and agricultural sectors.”