Construction of a new distillery in Speyside, Scotland, is symptomatic of the growing worldwide whisky industry.
The £40 million Roseisle distillery near Burghead is the first major new distillery to open in Scotland for 30 years and was built by Diageo in response to growing demand for Scotch whisky.
According to the Scotch Whiskey Association, UK exports of the alcoholic beverage have risen by three per cent in the past year, to £3.13 billion.
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Rapeseed production in the UK looks set to increase, which could mean greater crop yields for oil extraction.
According to Reuters, the rising price of agricultural commodities has prompted farmers in the UK, France and other European countries to increase the area over which they plant rapeseed and wheat.
However, Sophie Medge, crop condition analyst at Strategie Grains, told the news provider that the delivery of increased crop yields would likely rely on the weather during sowing season.
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England's waste recycling capacity will need to be increased if it is to meet its ambitious target of becoming a 'Zero Waste' nation.
That is according to environmental lawyer Charles Smith, who suggested that the recycling industry is likely to see a transformation if recycling rates of 70 per cent are reached.
Writing for Waste Management World, he suggested that legislation will be required for the pre-sorting of recyclable materials, while limits are also likely to be placed on the amount of biodegradable content that can be placed in landfill.
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Animal feed producers are likely to increase their prices as a result of supermarkets' refusal to allow poultry farmers to use GM feed.
Most livestock sectors have been able to keep the cost of feed in check by using GM grains, something that Britain's leading retailers have agreed to prohibit in the poultry industry, the Farmers Guardian reports.
According to the National Farmers Union, the stand being taken by supermarkets is "ludicrous", and is compounding this year's wheat shortage in driving up feed costs.
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New conveyor belts may be installed at a Welsh quarry as part of a major overhaul at the site.
The Wenvoe quarry near Cardiff in South Wales is to receive new equipment for bulk materials handling, after a new deal was struck for the processing of stone at the site.
According to Wales Online, aggregate products will be produced from the quarried stone for use at the local market.
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A disused quarry in Doncaster is set to be reopened for the first time in 20 years, it has been revealed.
Work is due to begin at the Nearcliff Quarry in Conisbrough to open a site which was last used in 1990 before it was forced to close after it was illegally used as a waste limestone dump.
Taylor Woolhouse Holdings will be able to extract 3,000 tonnes of limestone a week over the next eight years after receiving council permission to reopen the quarry.
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The British brewing sector could significantly benefit from new research which has revealed the vast differences in alcohol yield available with different wheat varieties.
Researchers working on the HGCA Greengrain LINK project, which strives to reduce wheat production costs and nitrogen emissions, have revealed that the best performing crops can produce 22 more litres of alcohol per every tonne of grain than the worst wheat varieties.
Denman was the best performing crop in terms of alcohol yield, as each hectare produced 3,996 litres of alcohol.
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The British animal feed industry has been boosted by the news that UK beef exports have risen significantly over the past 12 months.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has revealed that 8,000 tonnes of fresh and frozen beef was exported in July – 31 per cent more than the same time last year.
Overall, 56,000 tonnes of beef have been exported this year, with the Netherlands, Ireland and France representing a large proportion of the market.
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Surplus UK grain stock could be exported to drought-hit Russia as the country is facing a severe crop shortage.
Russian agricultural news agency Sovecon has revealed that Russia may import more than six million tonnes of cereals to cope with the "acute" shortage.
Research by the company has revealed that 77 million tonnes of grain will be used before July 2011, when the new marketing year begins, with a maximum of 81 million tonnes produced in that period.
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A new report has been released which shows how firms can boost the recycled content of their plastic packaging.
US group Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) has teamed up with experts from leading brands such as Unilever and Ball to highlight how recycling rates can increase throughout the drink, dairy and snack sectors.
The research claims packaging providers are restricted by a limited supply of recycled materials and should therefore discuss how to improve this with their supply chain partners.
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