Borders Success Story
.jpg)
Scottish Borders Produce Ltd is a co-operative made up of 35 farmers in the Scottish Borders and the adjoining counties of East Lothian and North Northumberland.
SBP was started in 1972 by 5 growers harvesting a few hundred acres, but has expanded through the amalgamation of two other groups and now harvests more than 4,000 acres on owned and rented land.
One of SBP's aims is to provide its members with a profitable break crop (planted between cereal crops).Break crops are important to arable farmers as they provide a number of benefits. Peas and beans, grown by SPB's members, are particularly effective as they require little investment by the farmer to produce and are extremely beneficial to the soil.
SBP has now developed a strong collaborative relationship with the local processing plant, operated by Eyemouth Freezers, to maximise the value of the produce.
Eyemouth Freezers' purchase of the plant stimulated a much greater degree of collaboration between the growers and the processor than had previously been the case. Under former operators, the SBP growers had simply been paid a ‘factory gate' price for the yield of frozen peas, with no involvement further down the supply chain. Now they work closely throughout the season, and the growers are involved with the produce all the way along the chain.
The relationship has worked for both parties from its inception. There would have been no future for growing peas and beans in the area if Eyemouth Freezers hadn't seized the opportunity to purchase the processing plant. In turn, they knew that they had a ready-made, major customer in SBP and its growers.
Download the full case study as a PDF
