November 20, 2013
A cracking success
South Uist once had a thriving egg industry. But under pressure from cheap imports from as far as away as Poland, the industry went into steep decline. More recently and due in large part to the efforts of local development trust, Lochboisdale Amenity Trust, local egg production has seen a change in fortunes. The Trust’s Rent-a-Hen project has provided local crofters with a much needed additional line of income and the island’s population now has a much more sustainable, healthier and shorter supply chain. A win-win all round.
20/11/13
A cracking success
To see short film from STV click here
A “Rent A Hen” scheme on South Uist is not only creating employment but providing crofters, who sell eggs from their rented birds on to local hotels, with an extra income.
Lochboisdale Amenity Trust was awarded a £32,000 grant in 2012 by The Big Lottery and Village SOS to set the scheme up.
Eggs on the island had been brought in from the mainland – and sometimes as far afield as Poland – since the island’s once thriving egg industry declined.
Now, thanks to the scheme, eggs are collected from local crofts and taken to a packing station which distributes them to almost every hotel and shop on the island.
The Hebridean Free Range eggs have proven such a cracking success that plans to expand the scheme and create new job opportunities are under way.