Business help for young farmers

The county's farmers of the future will soon be able to enter the industry on a stronger footing with the help of Fresh Start Lancashire, part of the national Fresh Start academies scheme teaching business skills to young farmers.

Fresh Start Lancashire is aimed at young people currently working on farms in and around the county who want to become the farmers and farm managers of the future.

It will help them to develop their business skills, enabling them to compete in a very competitive and diverse industry.

Benjamin Towers, chairman of the Lancashire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs, which has its headquarters in Clitheroe, chaired the launch of the initiative at the Swallow Hotel, Samlesbury, on Tuesday.

And he believes it is vital to educate farmers about all aspects of the industry.

He said: "I think it is a good thing because it is trying to teach people a lot of good business skills.

"There is a lot of people involved in agriculture and some are ignorant about succession and managing business agreements even though they are very good at the practical side of the business.

"It's a matter of raising awareness of these things and Fresh Start will hopefully do this."

The Lancashire scheme is supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the National Farmers Union, Myerscough College, Garstang, and a group of businesses involved in the farming industry, from solicitors to banks and accountants.

Fresh Start involves three elements - business skills, training and mentoring and the possibility of identifying business opportunities via a matchmaking network.

Organisers hope that land based colleges, regional or county training groups, land agents, Young Farmers' Clubs, and regional NFU offices will set up academies that will offer training on farm business management.

The courses will build on new entrants' existing technical knowledge by improving their business skills.