John Lamont MP has praised a Borders business for securing a deal with a national supermarket to stock Scottish asparagus.
ESG Drysdale, based in Cockburnspath, have secured a new contract to supply Asda with Scottish asparagus.
The newly merged ESG Drysdale, made up of two of Scotland’s largest vegetable growers, will supply Asda Scotland stores with 23 tonnes of locally grown asparagus.
The East of Scotland Growers (ESG) and R&K Drysdale merger was finalised earlier this year to form ESG Drysdale.
ESG has had a relationship with Asda for the past five years, and this year, the newly established company will supply three new lines of asparagus harvested from its 15 farms, which span 45,000 acres across Scotland.
Scottish Borders MP, John Lamont, said: "We have brilliant local producers in the Borders and I'm delighted to see that recognised.
"It will be great to see more fresh, high-quality produce stocked on supermarket shelves.
"Our farmers and food producers deserve a lot of credit for the fantastic work they do."
Alex Mr MacArthur, of ESG Drysdale, said: “On the back of the merger and combining two firms with a longstanding history of high-quality produce, this year we’re delighted to extend our range by supplying three asparagus lines to Asda customers.
"We’re thrilled with the success of our locally grown asparagus and it’s great to be utilising our own crops and supporting the local economy with large contracts from major retailers like Asda.
“It’s fantastic that Asda has such strong confidence in Scottish farming, and the produce we supply from our farms in Scotland is a fresher option for customers than the products flown in from abroad, as the time from being harvested to being packaged on the shelves is significantly reduced.
"Using local growers and suppliers is also a much more sustainable process of supplying vegetables as the produce doesn’t have to be imported in from thousands of miles away. The transportation of local vegetables creates a much smaller environmental impact with a lower carbon footprint.”