Scottish farmers could benefit from Capital Steel Buildings

Farmers in Scotland have been given £3 million by the Scottish government in order to purchase new farm buildings in order to house livestock.

Emergency funding was made available after the collapse of 3,000 decrepit agricultural buildings was blamed for the deaths of thousands of ewes and lambs during the coldest winter in the past 50 years.

Farmers may wish to invest the money in Capital Steel Buildings, which are built-to specification and can be easily customised to suit their surroundings.

A further £200,000 of emergency aid has been allocated for sheep farmers, some of which will be used to dispose of carcasses.

Richard Lochhead, the country's rural affairs secretary, said: "The extreme conditions have dented the level of optimism which had begun to emerge in the sector."

He also urged local authorities to be as flexible as possible with farmers attempting to minimise their losses.

The collapsed farm buildings have prompted a rethink into their design and construction.

The Collapsed Buildings Technical Working Group is now working closely with the National Farmers Union to determine what lessons can be learned from the extreme weather conditions.