Scottish farmers have written to Aberdeenshire councillors asking them to back planning proposals for a new £20m meat production facility.
NFU Scotland has written to councillors asking them to back planning proposals for the development at Thainstone, Inverurie.
The farming union views the proposal from Scotbeef Inverurie to relocate its existing business and erect the £20m facility at Thainstone Business Park as a "huge opportunity" for investment in the north east of Scotland.
It says the facility will will bring jobs and a "modern, state of the art", food processing site.
In its letter to councillors, the union points out that cattle production and beef processing in the north east has a "clear downstream impact", supporting hundreds of allied businesses.
In signing the letter, Charlie Adam, a beef producer at Leochel-Cushnie, near Alford, said: “I firmly believe that the proposals to develop at this site are critical to the profitability and sustainability of cattle production, both in the North East and in Scotland more generally. NFUS support for this project has the backing of the whole Livestock committee.
“In a very competitive food market, in which margins are tight, it’s essential that firms invest in infrastructure to meet the needs of the market and to continue to support the jobs and rural economy to which they are inextricably linked.”
Mr Adam said the proposal will help provide "much-needed" processing capacity in the north east, without which could see "cattle processing move out of Scotland".
“This investment in the food and drink sector is also in line with the Scottish Government’s food and drink target to double the food and drink industry turnover to £30 billion by 2013,” he added.
“Scotland’s iconic red meat industry is at the heart of that ambition, but targets will only be achieved if we build processing capacity that meets modern day requirements.”
