Pledge to redundant creamery staff

FIRST Milk confirmed that the 19-strong workforce at the Bute creamery started a 30-day consultation period on redundancy yesterday, but the milk co-operative has promised it will help to fund a study to identify any solution the dairy sector on Bute can deliver.

The study, which will be carried out by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, will look at the whole range of options facing the dairy sector.

It follows a meeting in Rothesay this week between the major milk co-operative, the Scottish Government, NFU Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Bute Estates, the Bute Community Land Company, the Scottish Agricultural College and other stakeholders.

Last month, First Milk announced it would be closing the creamery, because it was under-utilised with reduced milk supplies coming from the surrounding area after some milk producers had ceased production.