SRUC leaders – Scotland’s Rural College – yesterday said they were committed to the Craibstone campus in the north-east.
The pledge came as SRUC – which formed two years ago following the merger of the Scottish Agricultural College and Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge colleges – announced underlying operating losses of £0.2million for the year ended 31 March 2014.
Income for the year increased by 25% to £84.068million, from £67.241million. This was against an 87% reduction in operating losses, from £1.5million the year before.
In its annual report, SRUC said: “The results reflect a difficult trading period where, in common with many of our customers, our farms were affected by significant increases in input costs which were not reflected in the prices paid for the outputs.”
The college said a number of one off and merger costs had also impacted the results, including part of Elmwood demerging from SRUC to Fife College.
The accounts also revealed a 43% increase in pay for the principal and chief executive to £309,000, from £216,000 previously.
This includes compensation for loss of office of £87,498 – chief executive Professor Bob Webb left his post suddenly in November last year and as yet a permanent replacement has not be appointed.
Both acting chief executive Janet Swadling and chairman Lord Jamie Lindsay hailed a strong performance for SRUC in a challenging year.
They said discussions with Edinburgh University over a proposed partnership were ongoing and an outcome was likely by the end of the year.
In March SRUC announced plans for a closer degree of collaboration with Edinburgh University, billing it as “a new alignment with the potential to create an influential force in the agricultural world”.
Lord Lindsay and Ms Swadling yesterday said a new chief executive would be found once the alignment with Edinburgh University had been agreed.
On the future of the Craibstone campus, of which some of the land is included in the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) bypass, Ms Swadling said: “We remain very committed to the activities we are delivering in the north-east.
“The preparation for the bypass is having a very significant impact on the estate but we certainly see a strong future in terms of the activities that we deliver.”
Lord Lindsay added: “The real drive for the board is that we want to remain modern and capable of growth.
“The commitment remains there and we are definitely wanting to reinvest in every part of Scotland.”