A NEW two-year project aims to help Yorkshire Dales farmers get the most from their businesses.

SAC Consulting has been awarded £50,000 by the Princes Countryside Fund to run the scheme.

The Yorkshire Dales have some of the most diverse farm land in the UK and upland livestock farms face significant financial, environmental, legislative and logistical pressures.

The Dales Farming Group will launch this Autumn and aims to help local farmers maximise their income by encouraging them to take stock of their business and support them in their decision making.

The project will provide 15 farms with detailed business reviews, looking at both financial and technical performance to help them find a position of stability and sustainability.

Details of an Autumn launch meeting in Hawes will shortly be announced for interested farmers to attend.

The meeting will have a technical focus but will also explain about the project and provide give farmers the opportunity to sign up for a business review.

A number of new drop-in clinics and open group events will also be held during the project to discuss the benchmark data It will also look at new ideas and concepts such as using Electronic Identification Data (EID) for flock and herd management.

SAC Consulting’s Cumbria office at Kendal Auction Mart will deliver the scheme.

James Hadwin, local agricultural consultant, will carry out the business reviews.

He said: “We hope the Dales Farming Group members will gain a better understanding of the business issues they face, and have ideas about moving forward in a more sustainable way.

“We also envisage the group will continue to meet after the project finishes, providing collaborative working opportunities and the chance to go on sharing ideas and information.”

  • SAC Consulting is a Division of Scotland’s Rural College. Call 01539 566226 for more details.