Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed the announcement today by Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead of investment of almost £1.6 billion for Scottish agriculture, forestry environment and community projects as part of the Rural Development Programme from 2007 to 2013.
Mr Stevenson, who made a submission to the consultation on the Rural Development Programme, commented:
"Farming and the rural economy are one of the mainstays of the North-east so I am delighted that this has been recognised so early in the life of the new SNP Government.
"One of my colleague Richard Lochhead's first acts as Cabinet Secretary was to hold a meeting with industry representatives and the interest groups and that will be a hallmark of this administration.
"In addition, I am delighted that key stakeholders such as NFU Scotland have given a broad welcome to the package of measures announced today and I am particularly pleased to see a support programme for new entrants into the industry included in that. That is something which I have argued for for a long time now and it is pleasing to see an SNP Government taking this forward for the future of the farming industry."
Karen Adam is now the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast
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