A SCHEME to keep cows and their calves together for longer has received a funding boost.

An investment of £340,000 will be made through the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) in a number of farming projects across Scotland.

Some £60,412.50 has been awarded towards the Keeping Cow with Calf project - currently being run at the farm of David and Wilma Finlay in Castle Douglas - with the view to expanding it to other farms in future.

It aims to ensure dairy cows and their calves are kept together for five months as opposed to the standard modern dairy farm practice, which involves separating them within 24 hours of birth.

The project aims to use the "ethical dairy" as a model to characterise the cow with calf system and on-farm rearing, with a purpose to improve environmental and social aspects of farming.

Colleen McCulloch, of Soil Association Scotland, which helped set up the Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) group that brought the cow with calf project together, said keeping calves and mothers together has benefits beyond their welfare.

"David and Wilma Finlay, who are running the project at their farm in Castle Douglas, are at the forefront in Europe of turning this high-welfare dairy system into a successful, commercial operation," she said.

"Keeping calves with their mother has benefits beyond welfare, for example, for rose veal and beef supply, as well as grassland management and biodiversity - but is commercially challenging.

"The KTIF funding will allow Dr Marie Haskell, of Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), to run a year's pilot project to track the progress of the Finlays' operation and trial it on several other farms, with the aim of establishing a blueprint that could be adopted by any interested farm."

Among the other projects to receive money as part of the funding include a scheme aiming to close the gap described by farmers between them and grass breeders, as well as a project which uses low power, wireless communication to allow whole farms to be digitally connected.

Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon outlined the importance of funding the agricultural sector in Scotland.

"As we face a global climate emergency, investing and supporting innovative research within our agricultural sector has never been more important," she said.

"Farming is sometimes singled out as a climate offender, often by those who do not fully understand or appreciate its importance to our rural communities, or the work our farmers do to protect our environment.

"With this latest funding, the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund has now invested around £5.7 million in projects that will help us continue to grow a sustainable, vibrant and innovative rural economy."