Angus Growers, the Scottish producer organisation of 19 soft fruit growers, has announced that its appeal against withdrawal of recognition under the EU Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme has been upheld by the Scottish Land Court.
'Following three years of uncertainty, Angus Growers is pleased to once again be recognised as a Producer Organisation and have their funding reinstated,' the group said in a statement.
Angus Growers, which supplies a range of berries to supermarkets, uses the funding to invest in environmentally sound production techniques, plan production to meet demand, market the fruit, optimise production costs and stabilise prices.
The EU Scheme is administered by the Royal Payments Agency (RPA) on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, which had alleged a number of breaches of the EU Regulations governing the scheme.
As a result, Angus Growers had its recognition withdrawn by the RPA in March 2010. The RPA rejected Angus Growers' case at two internal appeals, with the growers then able to take the case to the Scottish Land Court, which found in their favour. The court found that there had been no substantial breaches of the regulations and that Angus Growers had attempted, at every stage, to comply with advice given by the RPA.
'The decision has been welcomed by the growers, whose production includes Good Natured Fruit, AVA and Islay strawberries,' said John Lang, chairman of Angus Growers. 'Exclusion from the scheme has put us at a serious disadvantage and the reinstatement means we will now be able to invest for the future to meet the growing demand for fresh, high quality Scottish soft fruit.
'Thanks to the loyalty and determination of all the growers and the knowledge and skill of the legal team, Edward Perrot of Taylor Vinters and Aidan Robertson QC of Brick Court Chambers, the case has had a positive outcome for Angus Growers,' he added.
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