THERE may be light at the end of the tunnel for farmers suffering the worst recession in 60 years.
The coming year will not see the end of the depression in agriculture but the corner is being turned. That was the view put forward at a seminar organised by the Country Landowners Association by James Severn, partner in charge and regional business manager for Andersons of Yorkshire.
He told farmers at the meeting there were signs of improvement for milk, pig meat, wheat and sheep, he said. Higher world prices in the coming year were the main home for UK farmers. Virtually all the world economies were growing, particularly the food-importing countries of Japan, the Far East and Russia.
Mr Severn said that in the present climate for agriculture there were opportunities for those prepared to embrace change. He said organic farming was a way to gain premium prices in a niche market which was not overcrowded and, while diversification was an option, it was not a panacea.
CLA Yorkshire chairman Richard Howard-Vyse reminded the seminar that farm incomes in the UK were down by 76pc over the last five years and by 20pc last year.
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